Intervention
by CrackedMetal
Summary: TARDIS is tired of the tension between Martha and the Doctor caused by Rose. She forces them into a familiar old room where the Doctor has to relive some of his best and most painful memories and Martha will finally understand. Set after EotD. Eventual reunion fic. Doctor/Rose
1. Rose and the End of the World

**A/N Okay, so this is my second Doctor Who fan fiction and I hope everyone likes it. Please review and tell me what you think, good or bad, just try not to be too mean :D I have no real knowledg eof the MPR so don't slaughter me if its all wrong please :P**

**Summary: the TARDIS is tired of the tension between Martha and the Doctor caused by a little past companion who goes by Rose. She forces them into a familiar old room where the Doctor has to relive some of his best and most painful memories and Martha will finally understand how the Doctor feels about Rose and why she could never be a replacement. Set somewhere after Evolution of the Daleks.**

**Disclaimer: Doctor Who and all surrounding elements of the show that may be including in this work of fiction belongs to the BBC network and the genius crew that brought it to us. No copyright infringement intended.**

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Chapter 1: Rose and the End of the World

Martha strolled down one of the countless corridors of the TARDIS, walking with her hands stuffed stiffly in her jeans pockets and her face set in an expression that conveyed extreme boredom, annoyance and a lingering hint of anger and jealousy… overall not something one would expect from a young woman inside a time machine travelling through the universe with the most wonderful man she'd ever met.

Every once in a while one of her hands would emerge from its self inflicted prison and run absent mindedly across a door in thought, nails scratching against what was sometimes wood, sometimes metal… even one or two made out of suede or fur. But she hardly took any notice, continuing her journey without entering any of the hundreds of rooms, hardly even curious as to what she was passing up. There weren't any as of yet she had found that captured her attention enough for her to consider entering, at least, not after what had transpired around about an hour ago.

FLASHBACK

_For the past few months she had been travelling with the Doctor and she had noticed that at the end of every adventure they shared he would disappear into the depths of the TARDIS without a word of explanation, staying around her only long enough to set the co-ordinates to stay within the time vortex. After that sometimes she wouldn't see him again for hours, eventually giving up and going to get some sleep while she still could._

_That was another thing. He kept up with the adventures, going to different places and getting into trouble almost on a daily basis and they no longer stopped when she claimed a need to sleep. He would look her up and down, deem her fine and declare they were off to another planet in some galaxy far away._

_It was only when she was literally ready to drop where she stood and her slowed motor skills were putting them both in fatal danger that he would stop for a day to let her sleep while he did one of his disappearing acts._

_It was only after a particularly emotional happening that he stopped their travelling early, enough so that when he left her she still had energy to burn and so she would wonder the halls of the TARDIS aimlessly._

_But not this time. After seeing him practically attempt suicide right in front of her by begging that Dalek to kill him she decided that the avoidance and skirting around topics had to stop. That was why when they entered the familiar console room of the TARDIS and he walked through the door that led further into its depths, she followed him, not caring about invasion of privacy and all the things he would babble about when he caught her, just wanting to know what was going on and how she could help him. _

_As she trailed a few meters behind him she thought it was strange how he, the ever observant alien, hadn't even seemed to realize her presence because she was sure that he would have said something if he had. But she supposed he was just too distracted by his… whatever it was. She could only sigh slightly as the familiar feeling of unimportance and rejection filled her up and only hoped she wasn't about to walk in on some crazy, disgusting alien ritual as his pin striped back turned another corner._

_It wasn't long before he stopped in front of a deep maroon door and simply stood there for a second, his left hand coming up to rest on the doorknob and chin almost resting on his chest as he looked down at the floor in front of him. _

_Martha hid behind a corner in confusion and watched as he took a deep breath, raised his head in a shaky sort of confidence or resolve and gently, almost reverently, twisted the knob and let the wooden door swing inwards, stepping in after it._

_She crept quietly to the door and popped her head around the wall just far enough to watch as he moved about the room that she could now see was a girl's bedroom._

_He was sitting on the edge of a pale pink comforter situated neatly on the mattress of a light-wooded bed that looked to be of Earth's origins. His head swiveled slightly as he gazed around the room, needlessly smoothing out the spread beside him and eyes once in a while lingering on a photograph or piece of clothing. She was startled as she realized there were visible tears running silently over his cheeks, no noise what so ever being emitted from him as he remembered; she recognized the reminiscent look on his face from so many other times through their travels._

_Suddenly, snapping her out of her reverie on what could possibly be going on, she got her answer in the form of his soft, despairing and devastating voice filling the air in a tone just higher than a whisper, his voice surprisingly steady._

"_I'm useless without you, you know?" He paused and looked towards the head of the bed as if expecting to see someone sitting there. "Almost got myself killed today… again… Rassilon, I'm so selfish Rose, I didn't even think about Martha."_

_He stopped again, voice breaking off and looked down at his hands in his lap. He breathed out a weak chuckle as if he was getting a somehow humorous response to his words but it ended quickly, making Martha wonder if she had even heard it at all._

_She watched as his eyes shifted to the floor of the room and his hands followed the trail his eyes were making, bending slightly to pick up a crumpled blue sweater from the floor and holding it tightly in both his hands, face screwing up as he resisted the outlet his emotions begged for._

_She couldn't stop the reflex that came with seeing him in such a state and only realized she had let his name slip from her lips a moment too late._

"_Doctor?"_

_His head shot up and she swore she saw a flicker of hope before his eyes took in her face and the disappointment set in. She felt anger at him because she knew exactly what he was thinking but her anger was forgotten as he rose from the bed, a dangerous look in his eyes that she had never seen before and made her flinch away from him, even though he was still across the room._

_The fury and grief mingled in his chocolate orbs frightened her and she had no idea what he was going to do next, choosing to stay very still and not say anymore before he started towards her in slow threatening steps, jacket falling from his grasp._

"_I'm sorry Doctor, I-" she rushed to defend herself but stopped mid sentence, watching in shock as he continued walking, straight past her out of the room, pulling the door shut in a swift movement without slowing his steps, and walked away without saying a word._

_Her sad, uncertain eyes followed him until he was out of sight and when she turned back the door was gone._

END FLASHBACK

So now she was still wondering around, thinking about what might happen the next time they are in the same room, going so far as to wonder if he might take her home and throw her out of the TARDIS.

While she contemplated what to say as an apology for following she began to think about the way she had been treated and got angry once again. Why was he _still _moping over some girl for? Why was she so special? And if he loved her so much why weren't they travelling together anymore?

_It probably got too much for the little princess and she left him all alone, _she thought spitefully, knowing deep down that she was being very unfair, but not caring because of how hurt she felt.

As the words crossed her mind she felt a strange, unmoving breeze encompass her, as if the ship was angry with her for thinking it. She looked around suspiciously for a second wondering if that was possible before noticing that there was a door to her right that hadn't been there a second ago.

Unable to sate her curiosity she stepped forwards and gently pushed the door open, making sure to check if the Doctor was inside before cautiously entering; only to find herself in a room that looked somewhat like a basement.

She stood for a second, confused. She turned to walk back out but the door slammed shut and as she tried to twist the knob it refused to budge from it's now mysteriously locked position.

"Great, now what?" She asked out loud, as if the room would have an answer for her.

Sure enough as the words left her lips a book seemingly materialized in front of her on the floor with a bookmark inside. She looked around once more before shrugging and bending to pick up the heavy volume. She turned it on its side and read off the spine _Time Lord Physiology. _Her eyebrow cocked in question but she mustered another shrug and flipped it open to the page that was bookmarked.

_Regeneration: This is a term used for a physiological process that Time Lords go through when they are fatally wounded or otherwise heading for death. They have the ability to change every cell in their physical body so that when it comes necessary, in the face of death, they can repair, and/or heal, themselves. Unfortunately this has the consequence of completely altering their outside physical appearance as well as their inside. All Time Lords have the ability to regenerate 12 times in total before they die completely, unless granted more by another Time Lord._

She snapped the book shut, slightly shocked and wondering why he had never told her, and partly irritated. "What does this have to do with me?" She asked the room again, frustrated.

_You must understand._

The answer came from inside her head, whispers that felt like they shouldn't be there – an intrusion. She reeled back slightly and tensed, the telepathic connection unnatural and very uncomfortable for her.

_I'm sorry Martha Jones but this is the only way for me to communicate. I forgot that it hurts some people; I've grown so used to talking only to those who can handle it._

She might not have been a genius but she knew the TARDIS was speaking to her, the Doctor had told her how he talked to her in his head. "I can handle it just fine," she replied indignantly. "So what? Does it only hurt weak people? Am I not good enough or something?"

The TARDIS sighed, slightly annoyed. _That's not what I meant child. _Somehow the title didn't sound affectionate as it usually did when others used it. _And don't argue. Compared to me you are only an infant. _With that she got back to her point.

_There have been companions such as you before. The Doctors Time Lord companions back in the days of Gallifrey could hear me as easily as him but never the humans; you have nothing to worry about. _

"But you said it had been a long time since it's happened. What about Rose? She was human wasn't she? Or didn't you speak to her? Did you not like her?" She continued, not noticing the air growing tenser with every word. "Is that why she left? Did you get rid-" She clutched her head at the sudden piercing headache that shot through her and the shouting began.

_I suggest you stop Martha Jones! I will not tolerate anyone insulting my Doctor's Rose! And do not think for a moment her departure was ever a choice, only the most extreme and most devastating circumstances could ever tear them apart!_

"Fine!" Martha shouted back, bent over slightly at her middle and hands still over her ears ineffectively. "But why let me come in here if you were just going to yell at me?" She had figured that the TARDIS had wanted her in here otherwise she never would have seen the door. Even through her anger and annoyance, curiosity still bubbled.

_I will get to that but to answer your question; I spoke to Rose every day. She was no normal human, even before we were bonded together as sisters with part of the same life force. Humans struggle with it because they are too closed. They think of it as invasion and reject the idea that anything beyond their understanding could live. But not our Rose, she treated me as the Doctor does – like one of you, a living entity. I will be forever grateful to her. And this is what you must understand Martha Jones; you get jealous and blame my Doctor, forever speaking about how insensitive he is. I have brought you here to _make _you understand why he could never look at you that way. Why he can't just "get over" her as you say. Why you must move on from your crush and be what he really needs._

"Which is what?" Martha asked, no longer angry – feeling very much like a reprimanded child.

_A friend. Someone to hold his hand and keep him away from the dark._

There was silence for a second then the room lit up a few shades lighter and her attention was drawn to her left as a blonde knocked on a door and called for someone named Wilson. Martha frowned in confusion.

_You can not interfere Martha Jones. These are the Doctors memories – combined with a few Rose left stored in me - and this is the only way. Watch, learn, and understand. Please._

With that the presence in her mind retreated completely and her mentality was clear as she watched the mannequins come to life, looking almost comical if it wasn't for the fact that the girl, who couldn't be older than her late teens, was having her life put in danger.

She stood just on the edge of the action/scene, not able to do anything but hope the innocent looking blonde would be alright. _Wonder who she is. _She wondered, not having quite figured out what was happening or what making her watch this was supposed to achieve.

The girl was cornered and squeezed her eyes shut in fearful anticipation. Martha watched as a man snuck up behind her and slid his hand into hers, grasping tightly to stop her from pulling away.

When the small blonde looked up at him he grinned and in a northern accent muttered one word.

"Run!"

The scene around her faded out and became like a television with bad reception for a moment before it came back into focus. She was now standing outside on a rather deserted street.

She had barely a moment to wonder then the two same people burst through the doors of the building she was standing in front of. She watched as the man walked back inside, coming back only a second later.

"I'm the Doctor by the way, what's your name?" Martha couldn't help the tiny gasp escape her, then felt rather stupid that it took her so long to figure it out. She new what the girl was going to say even before it was said.

"Rose." She now paid more attention to the teenager, wanting desperately to know what was so special about this one girl that the Doctor, for some reason, loved more than her.

"Nice to meet you Rose, run for your life."

She watched a tiny smile flit across the girl's face, amusement shining through.

_How could she possibly be amused when her life was just in danger? _Martha wondered, watching as the scene shifted once again. Now it appeared to be some sort of park, she could see the TARDIS a few meters away. Rose and the Doctor walked up the path but stopped, also a few meters away.

"Really though, Doctor. Tell me – who are you?" Rose asked him, no accusation or suspicion in her face or voice, just curiosity and even slight worry about this man she had only just met. Martha frowned, remembering the day she met the Doctor and how many times she had asked almost the same question, never getting an answer. She scoffed at the naive blonde who looked at him expectantly.

She was beyond shocked when the strange Doctor looked down at her seriously and paced forward, closing the gap between them and bringing their faces quite close, speaking in a serious tone.

"Do you know like we were saying? About the Earth revolving? It's like when you were a kid. The first time they tell you the world's turning and you just can't quite believe it because everything looks like its standing still. I can feel it." She watched as he gently took Rose's hand in his. Although he was obviously trying to prove a point Martha couldn't help the instantaneous and intense rush of jealously as she thought of how much it looked like he was seeking comfort from this girl he had just met, when even after months of travelling together all he ever did with Martha was avoid her questions and worries. She felt like yelling and screaming at him in that moment, but knew it was pointless.

"The turn of the Earth. The ground beneath our feet is spinning at a thousand miles an hour, and the entire planet is hurtling around the sun at sixty-seven thousand miles an hour, and I can feel it. We're falling through space, you and me. Clinging to the skin of this tiny little world, and if we let go-" He stopped talking quite suddenly and seemed to snap out of some type of trance, immediately dropping his companion's hand, making Martha sigh in relief, although her head was still reeling with the information she just learned about the Doctor – trying to imagine what it would be like to feel that 24 hours every day.

"That's who I am. Now, forget me, Rose Tyler. Go home." She couldn't help but feel smug at his harshness. The Doctor had never spoken to her like that.

Before anything else could be said or done it became unfocussed again and shifted into another basement-looking room, a pit of moving lava-like goo at the bottom, the Doctor restrained by the mannequins and the girl, and another unfamiliar man, at the top, helpless.

She watched in anger as the Doctor resorted to pleading and yet Rose did nothing, standing there, oblivious like the blonde she was.

Martha felt a twinge of the TARDIS' presence in her mind again at that thought and pushed down her hostile feelings, knowing if she insulted the precious Rose again it would only mean pain for her.

She couldn't help but feel slightly guilty though, as Rose ran to the side and swung, rather dangerously, down to the Doctor, effectively saving all their lives as the plastics went toppling over the edge and the Doctor scooped her up in a tight, gleeful hug.

For the first time Martha felt sympathy rise in her and let out a sad smile at the two. She could only imagine what it would be like to be ripped away from the Doctor.

She hardly even noticed the change this time, getting rather engrossed in the events already, like it was an addicting television show she couldn't wait to see the next episode of.

The Doctor stood in the doorway to the TARDIS as Rose stood with the same, clingy and scared looking man that now Martha thought looked rather attractive, if not a bit stupid.

"Nestene Consciousness? Easy." The Doctor spoke with a light smile, clicking his fingers in articulation. Martha smiled; although being even more docile and tragic-looking than her Doctor it was clear these were the same man.

"You were useless in there. You'd be dead if it wasn't for me." Rose didn't speak in a boasting voice, more just teasing with a smile to match the Doctor's. Martha's mouth hung open just slightly. They couldn't have known each other for more than a day and they were already communicating better than her and the Doctor ever did. They never seemed to understand each other and Martha found herself unable and unwilling to comprehend that this blonde teenager could understand such a complex man after such a short time.

_Nah, I was probably just imagining it. _She told herself, doubtful at the very same time.

"Yes, I would. Thank you. Right then! I'll be off! Unless, uh... I don't know... you could come with me."

_"_What?"Martha accidently said outloud in shock, thinking indignantly. _It was just that easy. After months I've barely even got a prolonged invitation yet she gets one after 24 hours and not even going anywhere. I thought his little trial period was something he put all his companions through… Obviously not… What the hell did he see in her that was so special? _She growled under her breath, trying to keep her calm so she didn't start trying to break everything in sight… which wouldn't be very helpful seeing as everything in sight was just a hologram.

The Doctor quickly explained what the TARDIS was and Martha saw the temptation on Rose's face, knowing she was obviously going to say yes. She watched as they shared another smile as danger was brought into the conversation, equal looks of anticipation of adventure and impatience.

She was absolutely shocked as Rose opted to stay behind, resisting the temptation she obviously felt and the Doctor disappeared into the depths of the TARDIS by himself, disappearing.

_How? But wait… he said he never goes back… he doesn't ask people twice. _Martha felt a wave of amazement and utter denial sweep over her as the TARDIS re-materialized back into the street, not a few seconds after it had disappeared, although who really knew how long it had been for him.

"By the way, did I mention it also travels in time?" The unfamiliar Doctor asked, having popped his head outside. He let the door swing open and stepped back with a challenging look directed at Rose before moving back to the console, like he knew she wouldn't say no this time.

Martha huffed. _Great, we haven't even shared anything original. _She ought as she thought back to her decision to travel with the Doctor and how he had used the exact same statement to hook her.

She watched as Rose didn't hesitate this time and ran to the TARDIS, a smile so big on her face it looked like she had never been so happy.

She blinked, trying to dispel the tears of anger and disappointment from her eyes. When she opened them again she stood in yet another street, although now she was surrounded with tons of people, bustling around on the street, going about their normal lives.

The TARDIS stood right beside her and the Doctor and Rose stood just in front, looking around; Rose looking confused and sad and happy all at the same time.

She wondered to herself how much time had passed since the last memory, but thought it couldn't be very long, since Rose still wore the same clothes.

The Doctor spoke as Rose continued to look around at the street, still looking as if she didn't know what she should be feeling.

_What has happened to them? _Martha stepped closer so she could better hear what he was saying.

"You think it'll last forever. People, and cars and concrete. But it won't. One day, it's all gone. Even the sky. My planet's gone."

Martha couldn't suppress her gasp. It took her asking questions and being lied to and a bad situation forced upon them before the Doctor volunteered anything about his planet or people to her and here he was, obviously not too long after he had met this girl, about to tell her with no sort of outside influence. _Why does he trust her so much?_

Rose said nothing, just looked back at him questioningly, obviously this was the first she had heard about this sort of thing.

"It's dead. It burned like the Earth. It's just rocks and dust. Before it's time." The Doctor continued, holding the blonde's gaze, regret and sorrow burning strongly in his piercing blue eyes.

"What happened?" Rose asked him quietly, obviously not demanding an answer, letting him chose how much to tell her.

Martha frowned, this time at herself. She realized now that it was her that was the problem. She shouldn't have pushed him so hard, should have realized that it was a bad subject, but she was too wrapped up in her own excitement. She couldn't help the feeling of self-disgust that welled in her when she thought of how it must have hurt him when she pushed so hard in the TARDIS before New Earth. She quickly went back to watching the scene, some of her animosity melting away.

"There was a war. And we lost."

"A war with who?" The Doctor didn't answer her question, just looked pleading at her and she didn't ask again… She understood and she stopped… like Martha didn't. The dark girl swallowed as she fully understood that this is what she should have done. "What about your people?" Rose asked instead.

"I'm a Time Lord. I'm the last of the Time Lords. They're all gone. I'm the only survivor. I'm left travelling on my own because there's no one else."

"There's me." Martha's breathing hitched. She had never given the Doctor such a reassurance before. The closest she had come was asking if the Face of Boe meant her with his last words, but she had never been the one to tell him that she was with him. There was a sort of finality to Rose's answer and Martha saw the look in the Doctor's eyes lighten just slightly and a smile crept onto his face in response to the one she was directing at him sweetly.

She watched as Rose, seemingly purposely, diverted the conversation from the dangers of travelling with the mysterious man, to food and lighthearted jokes returned, both of the images relaxing and laughing with each other.

She swallowed thickly as she saw the already intimate way they were with each other, hands clasped tightly together and Rose letting her head nuzzle affectionately into his shoulder, giggled still escaping.

She knew that if it had taken the Doctor all this time just to open up to her so slightly than she would never share such a bond with him as Rose did. She reached up with one hand to brush a tear away, knowing it would be the last she ever cried over him.

She would learn what ever it was the TARDIS wanted her to from what she was seeing, and still had to see, and then she would be a proper friend to the Doctor and she would remember Rose with him, instead of cursing her every time her name was whispered reverently from his lips.

**A/N So tell me what you think. I'm really not sure if anyone will like this or not. I'm afraid maybe it's too repetitive and since the story will be going through a lot of memories that people will get sick of it. Please tell me if you think I should continue. If you have any suggestions they are also welcome.**

**Thanks,  
Metal.**


	2. Unquiet Dead to the Long Game

**A/N Hope you enjoy this. Please PLEASE give me feedback. By the way, I also promise the Doctor will be in it soon – this isn't just all about Martha, I'm just waiting till the regeneration to include him, I promise to try and get there quickly. Something for you to look forward to ;)**

**PLEASE READ: A few of you mentioned you thought the TARDIS was unrealistic because she was too mean/hard on Martha. The point wasn't that she hates Martha or anything it's tht she was being stern because she hasn't been happy with how either of them have been acting and she just got angry when Martha started assuming things and almost said something really stupid about Rose (sort of like a mother when one child says something extremely bad about another). Because there are a few times, like when the Doctor mentions Rose and she does stuff like roll her eyes, when I think she needed someone to tell her off for it because she was acting like she's the only one that mattered when maybe the Doctor just needed to talk about her to help get over her. Sorry if the TARDIS came off as a horrible thing or something, she wasn't meant to and I had already written this chapter before I got the reviews and she was already a lot nicer so I hope you like this better.**

**Disclaimer: I own no rights in the slightest to Doctor Who or any spin-offs made now or in the future; I'm just trying to have some fun.**

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Chapter 2: the Unquiet Dead - the Long Game

"Hold that one down!" the Doctor yelled at Rose and Martha couldn't help but smile in amusement as they were thrown about the TARDIS, her not affected in the slightest.

Almost instantly though she got yet another shock to her system. The Doctor was letting Rose help him fly the TARDIS! He hardly even let her get near the control. She frowned, good mood dissipating with the annoyingly familiar resentfulness clouding her thoughts once again.

It seemed as though that was all the TARDIS wanted her to see because after a few seconds the scene switched to the same two, always the same two, people in a dark underground room with what looked like graves. They were now cornered by some dead looking people, hiding behind bars, their hands gripped together so tightly between them that even Martha, who was just beside them in the small space, could see them turning white.

The Doctor, rushed, turned to look down into Rose's eyes intensely. She looked back at him bravely. "We'll go down fighting, yeah?" She hid her fear and Martha could already see a certain sort of affection and love for her travelling companion, even if the Doctor wasn't quite _there _yet.

"Yeah."

"Together?"

"Yeah!" Martha sighed under her breath. Whenever she mentioned being together in any sense of the word with the Doctor he always got a far off look – now she knew what sorts of things he was remembering. His and Rose's relationship already seemed to be so intense… she struggled to even get her head around it.

"I'm so glad I met you." The Doctor muttered with conviction, visibly surprising the young girl. Martha couldn't suppress her chuckle – he always was one to come up with the unexpected in the worst, and often most inappropriate, situations.

"Me too." Rose said after she got over her alarm, smiling softly at him again and automatically, it seemed, getting one in return.

There was suddenly a flicker of another scene, only staying there for a moment but it definitely got its point across.

Rose stood looking up at a burning building and she said: "She saved the world. A servant girl… and no one will ever know."

As the scene faded into a new one Martha thought she finally saw what the Doctor saw in the blonde girl. She was so young and innocent, barely even beginning her life and yet; she was so compassionate.

She was so… human. Martha silently cursed herself… she was starting to like Rose Tyler, she could almost physically feel her jealousy drifting away and she honestly didn't think it would come back. Though this time, she smiled. She really only wanted the Doctor to be happy and she knew now that she wasn't going to be the one to make him so.

"Right then… Next." She spoke aloud, noticing the new scene was paused, obviously the TARDIS having done so after realizing she needed some time to think and process some thing. The air surrounding her seemed lighter now, like she had a whole new perspective of things. She knew that the change in atmosphere was thanks to the TARDIS showing her approval of her new attitude.

She smiled at the room in general and felt a faint breeze of affection rush through her and she knew that the TARDIS was letting her know that she was only doing this for everyone's benefit, not out of some personal grudge or anything.

This scene as well was a short one, merely showing the two of them on a balcony, the Doctor turning around to face Rose, looking to have been about to walk away when she called worriedly out to him.

"Promise you won't disappear?" She asked in a way that suggested she was actually frightened at the prospect. Martha got the feeling this was still early in their travels together as she figured the way their relationship was, if it was later there wouldn't be any questioning about being left behind… she had noticed the Doctor's almost phobic nature towards the word "forever", shying away from it no matter its context.

He walked back to her and pulled a TARDIS key out of his pocket, handing it to her with a few choice words and rushing off again, leaving the blonde staring at the metal in her palm.

When she had entered this room Martha would have been shocked and upset that she had been given a key so much earlier than herself but even after such a short time it seemed totally natural for them to progress that quickly, neither one becoming uncomfortable with the level that they were letting the other into their lives and never giving their actions a second thought.

Martha couldn't help but wonder that if this was what they were like after only a few adventures, exactly how close would they be by the end of this very emotional show and tell?

She was now standing in the middle of an office type room, Rose and the Doctor both there but this time with an older woman with them, one she immediately recognized as the former prime minister Harriet Jones. She chuckled at the thought of meeting her and what she must be like.

Suddenly a voice filled the room, coming from the mobile phone sitting in the middle of the large table between the three.

"Just answer me this Doctor. Is my daughter safe?" Rose muttered that she was fine but the voice overruled her again. "Is she safe? Will she always be safe? Can you promise me that?"

There was absolute silence in the room as Rose and the Doctor gazed into each others eyes; the Doctors telling her that he was in pain at the very thought of putting his young companion in serious danger, while Rose was silently pleading with him not to let this change his mind.

Martha couldn't believe how close they already were, how much they seemed to depend on each other. Her head only throbbed slightly in warning this time as a voice filled her head, a bit more faintly this time, and her tone softer as well.

_It was natural for them, this was how they were. I am proud of you so far Martha, I hope you are beginning to see what I'm trying to tell you. Still, there is much more till the end and that is what you must see the most._

The girl didn't bother replying, knowing the TARDIS could feel her emotions, none of them hostile in the slightest. She mentally apologized for the harsh comments she had thought and said of Roe earlier and felt a small confirmation of forgiveness before the scene rushed forward, not changing this time merely… fast forwarding.

"There's a way out." The Doctors northern voice says as soon as it slows back to real time. Martha watches as Harriet's and Rose's head snap to him, mouths gapping, incredulous looks on their faces; she guessed they had been there for quite a while before having heard of this. She couldn't stop smiling at the situation the man was just so… Doctor-like. The idea of regeneration still whirled in her head every time she looked at him and she found herself wanting to see Rose's reaction to his regeneration into the man she now knew, as she figured she was still with him in this body.

"What?" Rose asked, disbelieving.

"There's always been a way out." It was then Martha realized how, even as he was saying the words, he looked extremely reluctant, throwing cautious and agonized looks to Rose before looking away a few times. _Ah, _she thought, _so this is when it started. _It was the first time she had seen that look in the Doctor's eyes.

"Then why don't we use it?" The Doctor re-directed his answer to Rose's question to the phone still open on the table.

"Because I can't guarantee your daughter will be safe."

**"**Don't you dare. Whatever it is, don't you dare." The same voice said. The Doctor had mentioned Rose's mother top her once or twice and Martha knew that although his stories were usually of slaps and reprimands he was fond of her, almost like she was his own mother… maybe it would have been if Rose and her family wasn't taken from him but they never seemed to get the chance to bond that far.

"That's the thing, if I don't dare, everyone dies."

When the Doctor said it Rose's response was instantaneous, as was Martha's as she accidently spoke out loud to them again, even though they couldn't hear it, saying the same as Rose simultaneously.

"Do it." The Doctor looked at Rose, eyes shining with so many different emotions Martha found herself actually thankful such an expression had never been directed at her before.

"You don't even know what it is, you'd just let me?" He seemed totally unwilling to believe that somebody actually trusted and believed in him that much.

Martha shook her head. He had so much power and did so much good and yet underneath all the false bravado he was one of the most insecure people she had ever met, human or otherwise.

"Yeah," was Rose's instantaneous answer, certainty shining in her eyes and her body language.

The woman pleaded with him some more and the Doctor let out an almost heartbreaking explanation for what he had to do, because they all knew that he had to do it.

Martha knew then that Rose, and her relationship with the Doctor, wasn't the only reason she was there. This whole experience was bringing her so much more understanding of the Doctor himself and answers to why he reacted to certain things the way he dos.

As she came to such a realization she felt infinitely grateful to the TARDIS at giving her this chance, one she doubted many other companions had been given.

**"**Then what're you waiting for?" Rose was the one to ask the vital question.

And Martha heard the most emotional response that she heard yet, coming from the Doctor, tears welling in her eyes at the loss in his voice.

"I could save the world but lose you." The stare they shared then was so intense that she even saw Harriet, out of the corner of her eye, shift uncomfortably. Even Rose's mother dare not interrupt the moment.

Martha actually sighed in relieve this time as a new room took its place, the feeling of intruding on such a personal moment being removed… although she supposed it would only get worse from here on out.

_Time to get used to being uncomfortable I suppose, _she thought, not even making a joke about it. She knew that things would just get more and more intense until they were destroyed. She wished she had met Rose now, before all the terrible things she knew she would see had come. She could imagine that they would have got along amazingly well, travelling along side the Doctor in the TARDIS, no jealously involved.

The room flashed again and she was in a small closed off room. The Doctor held a phone to his ear, looking urgent, two unfamiliar people in the room also, one man and one woman.

The almost bald man spoke first. "The Vault is sealed." Martha's eyes shifted to the Doctor as his expression shifted into panic.

"Rose, did you get out?" She waited anxiously for an answer, wondering what exactly was going on and what was provoking such a reaction from the Doctor. She had only seen him like this once, on their last trip. _It couldn't be, _she thought despairingly, instantly frightened for Rose if she was right… being stuck somewhere with _them _without the Doctor. She shuddered.

The answer came, as if specially projected into the room for her benefit.

"Sorry, I was a bit slow." Rose's voice was choked and filled with tears, hesitant in not wanting to tell the Doctor such bad news. Martha could see his posture visibly deflate and slump at her words, eyes lowering and darkening quite a few shades. His expression froze and he seemed to be in shock.

"It wasn't your fault. Remember that, okay? It wasn't your fault. And do you know what?" Her last words came out in a whisper, barely escaping her rebelling lips. "I wouldn't have missed it for the world."

Martha was suddenly finding it harder to swallow and felt tears fill her eyes; but she didn't let them fall. This couldn't be the end… it just couldn't.

Her breath caught in horror as she heard the call of "Exterminate!" ring out and the sickeningly familiar sound of a Dalek's ray before the Doctor pulled the phone away from his ear and his face closed down, crumpling with pain. She had never seen him so close to tears before, yet another thing she could live without, although he was very close when he described Gallifrey to her.

She hated that someone so strong and someone she cared about so much was reduced to such torment.

The scene jumped ahead just like the last one did and now there was a communication screen up, showing a very much alive Rose standing just in front of a single Dalek.

"Open the bulkhead or Rose Tyler died." The Doctor's face lit up in extreme joy, much the same expression that Martha knew was on her own face at the hesitantly smiling face of Rose filled the screen.

She could almost physically feel both their relief at seeing each other again. _I wonder how long they've been separated for._

They had a quick back and forth conversation in greeting that she couldn't bring herself to concentrate on, as she was still trying to calm down her heart beat, before the Dalek said something that immediately captured her full attention.

"What good are emotions if you will not save the woman you love."

Silence.

The look on everyone's faces might have been enough to make her laugh had the situation not been so serious. The Doctor looked shocked, but not altogether disapproving, nor did he make a move to deny it.

The utterly hopeful look on Rose's face made Martha want to smack the Time Lord over the head and tell him to get his act together and save her. She was surprised just how much it now seemed like she actually knew this girl she had unfairly hated not even an hour ago.

With that it once again faded out of view and Martha sighed, getting a little frustrated at having all these stressful situations thrust upon her all at once.

She let herself sit down on the floor, legs starting to get tired just standing there for so long. Now she felt like she was smack bang in the middle of the greatest movie ever made.

They were clearly in the same building, but now Rose was visible, still standing next to the Dalek, except this time its shell was open. Martha grimaced in disgust at the sight of the true Dalek form and wondered why Rose wasn't running towards the Doctor.

She let out a gasp when she fully registered the scene and saw that the Doctor was doing one of the things he swore he never, not ever, did; holding a gun, with the obvious intention of using it.

"Rose, get out of the way, now!" He yelled in anger, all the emotions now gone form his face.

"No!'Cos I won't let you do this!" It was the first time Martha had seen Rose shoot the Doctor such a look. One filled with disappointment and an expectation for him to be better.

"That thing killed hundreds of people."

"It's not the one pointing the gun at me." Her voice dropped into a cold expression and Martha couldn't help but mentally applaud the girl for standing up to him when she needed to. Something she wasn't sure she would even do.

The Doctor could definitely be frightening when he wanted to be. She watched as Rose gradually began to convince the Doctor and he really looked at the pathetic creature in the metal armor.

"It couldn't kill Van Statten - it couldn't kill me - it's changing. What about you, Doctor? What the hell are you changing into?" That was the last straw. The Doctor lowered the gun, a deep remorse directed at Rose now from those hard sapphires.

Again it swiveled around her and Martha could swear she felt a headache coming on. She wished this bits and pieces would last more than half a minute each. She supposed there was a reason it was going by as fast, perhaps there was a specific place the TARDIS wanted her to get to.

Silent approval confirmed her thought and she rolled her eyes, looking, once again, back to the centre of the room where strangely enough the young boy around Rose's age who she thought she had caught a glimpse of in the other memories was still with them, standing in a very common-looking Earth home, the TARDIS cramped in the small room with an identifiably pissed-off Time Lord and rather angry, disappointed looking Rose.

"I only take the best… I have Rose."

"Of course." Martha nodded sarcastically, wondering if he would ever say anything like that about her to others. She was rather surprised when Rose didn't puff up in pride or anything at the statement, only blushing slightly and following the Doctor back into the TARDIS, leaving the pleading boy behind them.

She sighed. Rose seemed like such a good person. Whatever had happened to her she knew that she didn't deserve it. Now that she knew what type of a person her peer and predecessor was she almost didn't want to know what happened, even though it was the one thing she had been most curious about since meeting the Doctor.

She gulped. _I really didn't think this one through. _

**A/N Hope you liked it. Please review. I really want to know if I'm being too repetitive or something and if I should have Martha having stronger or more reactions or something. It'll get way better when I can do the 10****th**** Doctor/Rose scenes I promise… I'm not really good with 9. **

**Next chapter: FIRST APPEARANCE OF THE DOCTOR! Stay tuned.**

**Reviews = love**

**Thanks,  
Metal.**


	3. Father's Day to Parting of Ways

**A/N So, this story isn't very popular but I figured I'd keep going and finish it because I like the idea and I don't like not finishing things. So, to anyone who likes this story, thanks and I hope you enjoy the chapter.**

**Also, i don't have a Beta, i do all the checking myself but didn't have the time with chapter. Please tell me any major mistakes so i can change them. Thanks!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of Doctor Who, just trying to have some fun... please don't sue :D**

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Chapter 3: Father's Day – The Parting of Ways

Suddenly she found herself standing in the middle of a church and frowned at how unusual the setting was, especially for the Doctor… _although I guess you should expect anything._

The Doctor was sitting next to a baby and Rose walked up to him, for the first time there was a palpable tension in the air around them, Rose looking like she wanted to burst into tears when the Doctor didn't look up at her approach.

"Jackie gave her to me to look after. How times change." He muttered while keeping his eyes fixed on the baby in the carrier.

_What the hell happened? _The range of emotions coming from them now was so different to what she had just come from – she wondered how many other up's and down's they would have like this.

Next Rose tried to joke but it didn't make a difference and when she reached over to touch the baby the Doctor grabbed her hand roughly, pushing it away with none of the affection he would have in the past memories.

"No. Don't touch the baby. You're both the same person and that's a paradox, and we don't want a paradox happening. Not with these things outside. Anything new - any disturbance in time makes them stronger. The paradox might let them in." Martha vaguely heard the sounds coming from just outside the churches walls but ignored them, preferring to watch this new interaction and wondering just how long they would stay angry with each other.

"Can't do anything right, can I?" Rose muttered, and Martha couldn't help but think she only said it to see if the Doctor would deny it.

He was stubborn however and looked at her as if he were speaking to a child. "Since you ask, no. So, don't - touch - the - baby." He articulated. Martha laughed a bit at the indignant look on Rose's face at being spoken to in such a way and thought about how she would probably slap the Doctor if he ever did that to her.

The blonde's eyes narrowed dangerously, actually managing to look at least a little threatening. "I'm not stupid."

"You could've fooled me." With those harsh words both their expressions changed immediately. Rose's face fell in rejection and hurt, obviously stung by the remark and upset that he was still disappointed with her.

The Doctor's expression softened, he knew he had gone too far. Martha glared in his direction.

"Apologize!" She raised her voice to an almost shriek, as if he would be able to hear her.

"Alright. I'm sorry." Martha grinned happily, even though she knew she had nothing to do with it.

"Daft idiot." She muttered to herself.

"I wasn't really gonna leave you on your own." Martha's eyes widened just slightly… The Doctor had threatened to leave her? That was a new one, even for her.

"I know."

"But between you and me, I haven't got a plan. No idea. No way out." Martha knew better than anyone how much it took the Doctor to admit something like this and looked up at the man sympathetically from her place on the floor.

"You'll think of something." She was hesitant, as if she still wasn't sure where they stood with each other, yet still feeling the undeniable need to comfort and encourage him.

The Doctor breathed out a long winded explanation and it was then Martha registered how much difference there was in the two Doctor's talking styles. Compared to her Doctor, this one hardly spoke at all. He never rambled or went off on a tangent. She wasn't sure she would have been able to handle this Doctor.

"If I'd realized-" Rose spoke as if it was all her fault, and maybe it was but it didn't seem to matter anymore to Martha who saw the Doctor's expression soften again.

"Just... tell me you're sorry."

"I am. I'm sorry_."_

The Doctor reached out and cupped her face, for the first time gracing her with a bring and genuine smile and Martha couldn't help but let one take over her face as well, feeling the strange urge to clap as they hugged each other, Rose clinging tightly to the front of his jacket, yet angry at herself as she felt a tiny twinge of an all too familiar emotion.

It seemed to Martha as though this was going to be a very common thing, them hugging as if their lives depended on it. She wondered if they were actually together by the time they were separated… The way the Doctor talked about Rose and acted about her certainly made it seem like it.

And then they were outside, walking away from a devastating scene, hands clasped in solidarity and support as they walked back into the TARDIS, together.

Martha marveled at how much their relationship was different to hers with the Doctor. They spoke more freely and one of the major things she noticed was the hand holding. The only times the Doctor had taken her hand was in times when he had to drag her away from danger and run for their lives. The only times she ever got hugs from him were in the very worst of situations when death had been brought into the equation.

Yet she didn't feel sorry for herself because she knew what it was like to hold someone close, all the while wishing they were someone else and she was just glad that he gave her anything at all. She thought back to how she thought she loved him.

The TARDIS was right. Now her eyes were open, it really was a crush because when she really thought it through she wasn't sure she could actually go through doing anything remotely sexual with him… he might look human but there would always be a nagging part of her in the back of her mind saying that he wasn't, that she'd never really know him and what he was… that she couldn't fully and completely trust him.

But by watching she knew that Rose would have had no such reservations. Even if she wasn't quite at _love _yet she already looked at the Doctor like he meant everything to her and that was it really. He meant a lot to Martha, but not everything. And if put in the position were she had to choose between staying with her family and never seeing the Doctor again or vise versa she knew without a doubt that she would choose the former.

With Rose, she wasn't so sure. And she didn't hold that against the girl, certainly not. She was just glad the Doctor had someone out there that cared for him that much, even if they were separated. Because maybe just that would end up being enough to somehow bring them back together again.

_God, I'm starting to sound like some cheesy romance novel, _she thought to herself before drawing her attention back to her surroundings.

"Oh, wonderful. Another basement,' she spoke aloud to the room. "Oh,' she said interestedly and pointed at a man sitting in a wheelchair. "Who's that then?" She heard something akin to a laugh in her head but didn't get an answer.

The Doctor turned and eyed the sitting man for a moment, before looking at Rose with annoyance.

"So, where'd you pick this one up, then?" _Ohhh_, Martha thought, a cocky smile breaking through onto her features. _He's jealous… I've never seen him be the jealous one before._

"Doctor." Rose sounded as if she was reprimanding him although she didn't sound surprised at the reaction… Just how much did he get jealous?

"She was hanging from a barrage balloon, I had an invisible spaceship. I never stood a chance." The Doctor looked back over his shoulder to glare at the man while Rose just stood looking rather uncomfortable. As it started to fade out Martha let out a sigh.

"Oh come on it was just getting good."

"I trust him 'cause he's like you, except with dating and dancing." Did she just imagine that or did Rose just insinuate that she was interested in the Doctor? Of course, it was rather obvious but neither of them had vocalized anything until just then and Martha was finding it hard to believe when the Doctor hardly even reacted. Although he did have a rather strange look on his face.

"What?" Rose asked, seeing the same thing Martha did.

"You just assume I'm-" Martha held her breath, no way was he actually going to tell her… well anything really; all the things that could follow those words in relation to Rose's were rather unbelievable.

"What?" She asked with Rose again.

Martha couldn't help but think the Doctor looked adorable, in his own weird way, at how vulnerable he sudden became. "You just assume that I don't dance." The dark girl coughed out a laugh at the thought.

"What, are you telling me you do_... _dance?"

"Oh I can see where this is going."

"Nine hundred years old, me. I've been around a bit. I think you can assume that at some point I've danced."

Next thing she knew Martha was looking at the two of them, in the same room but standing much closer, looking into each other's eyes cautiously.

"Do you know what Ithink? I think you're experiencing Captain envy." Again, it was the first time they had actually brought up the feelings that it seemed they had both been feeling all along. Martha smiled and internally cheered when the Doctor did nothing to deny her statement, just pulled her closer and half nodded.

She blinked and was in an office, Rose looking at the Doctor with the other man off to the side.

"I don't believe it. We actually get to go to Raxa-" Rose paused, stumbling over the word and frowning. The Doctor rolled his eyes comically and Martha laughed. She had heard the Doctor mention some planet starting like that but she had never even attempted to figure it out.

"Wait a minute… Raxacor-"

Rose looked up at the Doctor like she needed guidance.

"Raxacoricofallapatorius." The Doctor rattled off, looking down at her expectantly as she stepped closer.

"Raxacorico-" Rose said and waited, still holding the Doctors gaze.

"Fallapatorius." He finished, smile growing bigger.

"Raxacoricofallapatorius." Rose said just as quickly, her face molding into surprised glee and smiling up at the Time Lord as if for approval.

"That's it!" The Doctor yelled joyfully, throwing out his arms in invitation.

Martha watched in astonishment as Rose leapt into his arms in exuberance, her feet leaving the ground for a moment as they laughed into each others shoulders.

_She got all that just for saying a name right. _She was beginning to see just how drastically the Doctor had changed and she didn't think it had anything to do with his regeneration.

She didn't have much time to ponder though as she now found herself in a huge platform, the Doctor the other man and a very unfamiliar girl standing right there with her, the Doctor using his sonic screwdriver on some sort of panel.

"Can't you track her down?" He directed the words at the tall man standing with him. It was only then that Martha noticed what was wrong; there was no Rose. Some thing had happened, and judging by the strain in the Doctor's voice it was nothing good.

"She must still be inside the games. All the rooms are shielded."

_The games?_

"If we can just get inside this computer… She's got to be here somewhere." The Doctor grew frantic and Martha became worried, it must be serious if he was showing that much emotion.

"Well, you'd better hurry up. These games don't have a happy ending." Martha distinctly felt like slapping the man because of how ignorant he was being to how the Doctor's panic was rising with every word but when she really looked at him she saw the same emotions, just better hidden. He must have been a good friend of theirs by now.

"You think I don't know that?" Just as the Doctor snapped the scene faded to be immediately replaced by one in a similar, albeit smaller, room, obviously the small building.

She was still beside the Doctor and she saw Rose running towards them, coming away from a circle of light with a man and a strange looking robot.

She heard the shout and the sound of laser and couldn't help but let out a yell and lunge forward as Rose was disintegrated onto a pile of ash before their eyes. She turned back almost immediately to look at the Doctor.

His face was stunned and frozen in horror as he bent down and touched the pile, looking completely and utterly lost for the first time. Martha felt tears well in her eyes, she couldn't bare for anyone to be in so much pain, let alone the Doctor.

She watched in silent grief and anger as the soldiers manhandled him away from what was left of Rose and his expression never changed once. They were put in a tiny cell and he still held absolute blankness, darkness shining through his eyes, life gone.

She was shocked to suddenly find herself in another room and got slightly angry with the TARDIS for changing it on her at such a critical time when she heard the man, Jack she thought his name was, tell the Doctor that Rose wasn't dead.

The look on his face was indescribably happy and Martha let out a choked laugh. Honestly, how many times would they go through this rigorous routine of thinking the other was dead over and over.

_Oh, you have no idea. _The TARDIS whispered in her mind, although her voice now held a distinct emotional strain to it. It was then Martha thought about what reliving these memories, of a girl she was clearly very fond of, was doing to the TARDIS herself.

"Are you okay?" She asked out loud, gently putting her hand on the grating below her in a gentle stroke.

_Yes Martha, don't worry about me. Continue, it will soon get much more difficult._

Before she had time to ponder the words she was again at a different scene. The same building and room but now only Rose and the Doctor were there, crouched down close to each other and talking quietly.

"We could leave. Let history take its course. We go to Marbella in 1989."

"Yeah, but you'd never do that." Martha found herself talking with Rose once again and she stopped herself, she was so engrossed that she didn't want to miss a thing, even though she really had no idea what was going on.

"No, but you could ask." Rose doesn't reply to him and Martha found herself wondering just what the young, seemingly ordinary girl was thinking of.

"Never even occurred to you, did it?" His voice held a strong affection and pride that Martha had never heard coming from him… to anyone and the emotions seemed to press in on her as well. Rose really was very selfless for a human. Martha knew if she were in that position the thought would have, at the very least, popped into her head.

"Well, I'm just too good!" Again, there was no hint of a boast in her tone, only joking and Martha knew that was another thing both her and the Doctor had in common – neither of them realized just how good they really were.

Just like that everything changed so dramatically Martha could hardly stand it.

As the scene stayed fuzzy for longer than usual a voice filled the air, a familiar northern inflection in its tone.

This is Emergency Programme One. Rose, now listen, this is important. If this message is activated, then it can only mean one thing. We must be in danger. And I mean fatal. I'm dead or about to die any second with no chance of escape. And that's okay. Hope it's a good death. But I promised to look after you, and that's what I'm doing. The TARDIS is taking you home. And I bet you're fussing and moaning now - typical. But hold on and just listen a bit more. The TARDIS can never return for me. Emergency Programme One means I'm facing an enemy that should never get their hands on this machine. So this is what you should do: let the TARDIS die. Just let this old box gather dust. No one can open it; no one will even notice it. Let it become a strange little thing standing on a street corner. And over the years, the world will move on and the box will be buried. And if you want to remember me, then you can do one thing. That's all. One thing. Have a good life. Do that for me, Rose. Have a fantastic life."

Only having a split second to absorb what she had just heard the scene finally came into focus and she was looking at a sobbing Rose, talking to a woman who was obviously her mother and the attractive dark boy she had seen earlier. She looked like she was back on Earth in a nice little, low class restaurant.

Martha stood by their table, not taking long to figure out the extent of what had happened. _This must be one of Rose's memories like the TARDIS said._

"But what do I do every day, mum? What do I do? Get up, catch the bus, go to work, and come back home, eat chipsand go to bed? Is that it?" Martha knew exactly how she was feeling and felt pangs of sympathy rush over her… well, not exactly, she re-thought. She could live without the Doctor and she knew it but from this reaction… She wasn't sure Rose could.

"It's what the rest of us do." The boy commented coldly.

"But I can't!"

"Why, 'cause you're better than us?" Martha could hardly even believe how insensitive they were both being. If her mother or friend saw her in such a state there was no way they'd be talking to her like that. They'd rush to hug and comfort her. In that moment she wished she was really there so that she could help the poor stranded girl, so far away from her real home.

"No, I didn't mean that! But it was... it was a betterlife. And I - I don't mean all the travelling and seeing aliens and spaceships and things, that don't matter. The Doctor showed me a better way of livingyour life." She directed her next words at the boy. "You know he showed you to. That you don't just give up. You don't just let things happen. You make a stand. You say no. You have the guts to do what's right when everyone else just runs away, and I just can't-" She got more and more distraught until it seemed as though she literally couldn't hold it anymore and kicked away from the table, running out the door with tears running continuously down her face, expression set in such a deep despair Martha almost felt herself drowning in it.

And then she was back, in the horribly dark room with the Doctor and she nearly jumped out of her skin as she noticed the huge line of Daleks filling the small space, conversing with the rather despondent Time Lord.

Without any wait the sound of the TARDIS filled the air and it had never sounded so beautiful to Martha, as she had tuned in enough to the current conversation to understand that the Doctor was about to get himself killed, not to mention the danger the Earth was in.

The doors slammed open and Rose stepped out bashed in an almost blinding golden light. Martha watched her in awe, totally unable and unwilling to pull her eyes away from the goddess-like figure.

Her hair gently swayed slightly around her as if caught in an invisible breeze and tear tracks stained her face in the most striking way possible, her voice resonating with power throughout the room, having no fear of the Daleks in front of her.

"What've you done?" The Doctor whispered, clearly in as much awe as Martha but his superior thought processes letting him have enough brain function to force the words out of a concerned but undeniably relieved voice.

Rose looked down at him, light shining out of her eyes so that they looked like little suns. Her accent was gone as she spoke, the voice unearthly and ethereal.

"I looked into the TARDIS, and the TARDIS looked into me."

_What does that mean? _Martha questioned rhetorically, not stopping for a moment to think that perhaps it was a literal sentence, not a metaphor.

"You looked into the Time Vortex. Rose, no one's mean to see that." The Doctor's voice had adopted a whole new level of seriousness and Martha started to think that Rose's decision might not have been the best one, but somehow she knew that if she hadn't done it than the Doctor would most likely be dead by now. If she ever saw this girl corporeal she was going to hug her and not let go for a long time.

The Daleks rambled and fired their weapons, only to have Rose deflect them with a flick of her wrist. Martha just caught the intense gaze the Doctor held with the blonde goddess as she turned back, thoroughly into the stages of shock by now.

"I am the Bad Wolf. I create myself. I take the words. I scatter them. Through time and space. A message to lead myself here." Martha saw the shiny understanding in the Doctors dark orbs as the words on the wall scattered off in different directions, deciding there was no way she was ever going to understand everything and instantaneously let it go, opting not to interrupt the scene to ask the TARDIS.

The Doctor kept pleading with Rose to let go of the power and Martha could definitely understand that. No one should have so much power that much given to one person was bound to destroy them, one way or another.

"Let it go," Martha spoke through gritted teeth, knowing it had already happened but feeling the need to encourage the girl anyway.

"I want you safe." Martha could say the bewilderment in the Doctor's eyes because he never considered himself the one that needed saving. It was always him to save the day and peoples lives and now this little human he cared so much about was putting her own life at risk for him. For once in his life the Doctor looked speechless. "My Doctor. Protected from the false God." The possession in Rose's voice acute and demanding as if she wanted everyone to know that he was hers and Martha could have sworn she saw a flicker of just the normal Rose in the eyes of the goddess as she said it, tears still gently running down her cheeks. Martha couldn't believe how much emotion two people could possibly hold for one another without even admitting that they love each other.

_They're impossible. _She thought.

_I have thought the same many times. _Came the soothing tones of the TARDIS, though her words carried a certain weight to them that said they were not said to be light-hearted.

Then Rose destroyed everything. All the Daleks, the ships… somehow even death as she reversed it, though on whom Martha did not know.

"I can see everything." Rose sobbed now, sounding pained and full of awe at the same time. "All that is. All that was. All that ever could be."

Martha wondered about the suddenly amazed look on the Doctor's face, but only had to wait a second to find out as he stood from his position on the ground by Rose's side.

"That's what I see. All the time. And doesn't it drive you mad?"

"My head." Rose's voice almost reached an anguished keen and Martha felt the urge to shout at the Doctor to hurry up. It was obviously hurting her unbelievably.

"Come here." The Doctor responded in a half whisper, holding open his arms out to her.

"It's killing me." They all knew it wasn't just a saying. It was literally _killing _her.

"I think you need a Doctor." Martha couldn't help the irrational, watery chuckle that escaped her at that and watched in fascination and hope as the Doctor took Rose into his arms and gently bent down, letting his lips fall onto hers in a gentle kiss.

Martha knew what he was doing as she saw the light being transferred between them but also knew it was more… different from when he had kissed her as a genetic transfer. In this kiss his hands were just a little softer on her shoulders, closer to a caress. He lips lingered on hers and turned up slightly in a smile and his face was calm and blissful.

_Definitely not just a genetic transfer then, _she thought with a badly concealed grin that she tried to hold back because of the rather dire circumstances.

And just like that they were back in the TARDIS, Rose climbing up off the grating and looking warily at the Doctor, asking what happened as apparently she didn't remember.

At the end of his explanation he leant heavily on the TARDIS console and Martha saw him glance down at his right hand before looked back up at Rose with a tender smile.

_Oh God, this is it. _Martha thought. _He's going to regenerate._

Of course they wouldn't get away with no consequences after all that. Martha couldn't help but feel glad that it would now be her own Doctor that was watching, although he really was still Rose's Doctor, but then thought about what Rose's reaction to the new man would be. She wasn't entirely sure if he would handle it very well if he changed his face any time soon.

Yeah, but as if she'd ever leave him. Martha thought.

"Rose Tyler. I was gonna take you to so many places. Barcelona - not the city Barcelona, the planet. You'd love it. Fantastic place - they've got dogs with no noses." He laughed at his own joke while Rose watched on in utter confusion, clearly he had never mention regeneration to her before.

Idiot.

"Imagine how many times a day you end up telling that joke, and it's still funny!"

"Then, why can't we go?"

"Maybe you will. And maybe I will. But not like this."

Well, that's a great way to explain it you daft alien, Martha rolled her eyes again. He was absolutely hopeless.

"You're not making sense," Rose said, pointing out the obvious.

"I might never make sense again! I might have two heads. Or no head! Imagine me with no head!And don't say that's an improvement." Rose smiled at him in amusement, obviously still confused but wanting to humor him until he got out what he was really trying to say.

"But it's a bit dodgy, this process. You never know what you're gonna end up with." Suddenly he was thrown back as a blast of gold light shone from his stomach, making him fold at the middle. Martha made to go forward the same as Rose, she never thought the process would be so violent.

"Stay away!" He yelled at Rose, protecting her even now. She stopped and stared at him, wide-eyed and scared as the Doctor winced in pain.

"Doctor, tell me what's going on." She pleaded.

"I absorbed all the energy of the Time Vortex, and no one's meant to do that."

He screws up his eyes in pain, Rose staring at him with concern.

"Every cell in my body's dying." He was serious now, having to explain fully before it happened, which didn't look too far off.

"Can't you do something?" Misinterpreting what was going to happen to him. Martha silently urged him to get it over with because in the end it would probably make them both feel better… after a while.

"Yeah, I'm doing it now. Time Lords have this little trick, it's... sort of a way of cheating death. Except, it means I'm gonna change." Rose shook her head in denial, but Martha saw the grudging acceptance in her eyes and knew she would handle it.

"And I'm not gonna see you again. Not like this. Not with this daft old face. And before I go-" Martha felt tears spring up again and felt stupid, she already knew that he was going to be fine so why was it her getting all emotional.

"Don't say that." Rose said what Martha was thinking.

"Rose before I go, I just want to tell you, you were fantastic. Absolutely fantastic. And do you know what? So was I."

And with that he burst into brilliant yet terrifying golden light that made him look as though he were a small sun exploding, and Martha couldn't help but think that he was. Rose blocked her face from the brightness but Martha saw the general shift in his features as they merged into someone else, yet the same man. She sighed in relief as she saw the man she was so familiar with stand before her.

As soon as the light faded and he slumped forward the scene froze but did not change. Martha frowned, confused and looked about the room… only to see a very familiar figure standing just inside the room in front of another door.

"Martha?" He called out, confused. She gasped in shock and didn't know quite what to do. She saw how his eyes darkened and posture stiffened as he took in the frozen picture all around her and she did the only thing she could think to do. She ran to him.

She wrapped her arms tightly around him, already babbling into his shoulder. 'Oh Doctor, I'm sorry sorry I never understood. You were right, she's wonderful and I want you to know that I'll always be here if you want to talk."

He gently pulled away and looked at her blankly before looking around the room again, longer this time, and seeing the frozen scenes. His eyes immediately closed up even further, cold fury burning deep within and rising quickly to the surface as he realized what was going on.

He looked up and spoke to the TARDIS. "What have you shown her? How dare you? It wasn't your place!" He screamed at the entity, shocking Martha, he had never raised his voice at the TARDIS before... or so she assumed.

_You will deal with this finally my Doctor. I'm sorry, but it's for your own good._

Without responding the Doctor rushed over to the door he had come through, only to find it locked just as Martha had when she tried what seemed like hours ago. She watched as he stood by the door, banging on it and pulling out his sonic screwdriver even though he knew it would be pointless.

Then his own voice rang out from behind them and he froze, ever muscle in his body visibly tensing. Martha looked around back at the scene to see in moving again, looking for a second over her shoulder to see that the Doctor still not turned around.

But then she spoke and everything changed.

"Who are you? Where's the Doctor? What have you done to him?" Rose's voice rang out in fear and hesitance.

The Doctor's eyes widened, a thousand different emotions flickering across his flushed face as he turned, eyes instantly falling upon the blonde figure only meters away.

**A/N So, what did you think? I really hope you liked this and please review if you did! I'm pretty unsure about this story because of the lack of response I've got so far. TO those of you who have reviewed; thank you so very much, it means a lot!**


	4. Christmas Invasion

**A/N wow! You guys are fantastic! I can't believe the response I got after chapter three. Thank you so much because that gave me so much inspiration to keep going with this story! I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint anyone. I was going to include New Earth in this chapter but decided it would have made it too long so stay tuned for that.**

**Also, just so you know. This, as well as all of my other stories, is un-BETAed so please tell me if I've made any big mistakes. Thanks. **

**Disclaimer: I own no rights to Doctor Who or any of its spin offs, no matter how much I wish I did. Don't sue :P**

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Chapter 4: Christmas Invasion

"What have you done to him?" Her voice rang out behind him, so familiar and yet something he never thought, nor dared to hope, he'd ever hear again. He whipped around to face the hologram as he heard his own voice respond, not listening to the words.

His hearts thumped loudly in his chest, hands shaking almost unnoticeably as he crept slowly forward, eyes burning with held back emotion and throat dry in anticipation. He heard Martha calling his name but couldn't find the will to respond. He didn't want to do this; he knew it was a bad idea.

He understood, somewhere in his cluttered mind, that this wasn't real. She wasn't back with him and this was only going to hurt him.

But as he came within touching distance, reaching out and hitting nothing but air, and as he stepped forward and around twice more to come standing face to face with the only woman he had ever fallen in love with, it didn't matter.

He studied her face intensely, eyes sweeping over her whole face and he longed to touch her, though knew it impossible, letting his fingers twitch helplessly by his side with the urge to sweep her hair back and grasp her warm, small hand that fit so perfectly into his. He couldn't help the resentment that welled up inside as he thought how this time he was real and solid and she was just the projection, looking just as real as on that beach but now, even further away than ever.

"Rose," He whispered, lips barely moving as the reverent syllable blew past them. He felt Martha's approach and didn't move as she slid a comforting hand onto his shoulder, offering silent comfort that, although he couldn't respond to, he was unendingly thankful for. Because he knew if he was left by himself at that moment he would be on the floor, a mess of tears and guilt and self-loathing.

"I saw him sort of explode, and then you replaced him, like a… a teleport of a transmat or a body swap or something."

Martha watched him carefully, still keeping an eye and ear on the scene so as not to lose track. She was so thankful when he didn't push her hand away and watched with glinting, sad and sympathetic eyes as his slid shut and he breathed deeply as the blonde spoke again.

She could guess that he didn't use this room much, if ever, and it was obvious this was the first time he had heard or seen Rose since they had been separated… She could only imagine what was running through his head right in that second.

As he drew in one more breath he spoke, without opening his eyes. "Old girl, please…" He didn't finish, he didn't have to but this time there was no response from the sentient ship and Martha cleared her throat lightly so as not to startle him.

"She won't let us out Doctor, I've been in here for at least an hour now." He opened his pained and glassy orbs, looked at her and nodded, resigned.

He looked back at the scene, seeming to get over the shock, or at least hiding it better like he always did, and paying more attention this time. Martha stepped back to give him a bit of room and they watched silently; the Doctor trying to take in everything he possibly could and Martha watching him for his reactions, ready to step in at any time she thought he might need someone.

"I've seen all sorts of things. Nano genes… Gelth… Slitheen." Martha was actually quite amazed that she wasn't freaking out a lot worse.

"She was always good with weird." The Doctor spoke softly, nostalgically with a tiny hint of a smile appearing at the corner of his lips. Martha smiled at him, though he had yet to tear his gaze away from Rose, and marveled at how even now, so distracted, he seemed to be able to read her mind.

"Oh, my God, are you a Slitheen?" Martha was absolutely delighted when the Doctor choked out a strangled, watery chuckle at that, watching as he brought up his hands to wipe his face and ruffle his hair, trying to keep some semblance of his normal behavior while using the gesture to gain back at least a little composure.

"Doctor, are you okay?" She rethought that question quickly, rolling her eyes at herself. _Of course he's not okay you idiot. _"I mean, are you going to be okay?"

She didn't get a verbal response but the infinitesimal nod of his head was enough for her. Her heart almost broke though as he stepped forward, even closer to the other girl and spoke with his holographic counterpart.

"Rose, it's me." It was like he was trying to call out to her, begging her to be able to hear him when they both knew it was impossible.

"Honestly, it's me." The image continued. Martha finally let a tear go as her Doctor stepped back and his head dropped to look at the floor, but only for a second as his entire being seemed to be drawn back to that one girl and a moment later his eyes were back on her – the hope, that was completely false and foolish that was there a second ago, now absent from his cold, dark gaze.

Martha walked back to him and clutched his hand in hers, frowning as he tried to pull away, only making her hold tighter as she knew the problem this time. "I'm not trying to replace her you know? But you need someone Doctor. Please, just let me be a mate okay?" He didn't speak but his hand relaxed into hers as both their focus went back to the scene in front of them.

"You can't be." As Rose whispered the newly regenerated Doctor stepped closer, leaving no air of personal space between them, and towered over her just slightly; not in an intimidating way but in a way that showed a certain closeness and trust, especially as she didn't flinch away or make any move to escape his proximity, merely looking up into his eyes intensely, trying to figure out if he was telling the truth.

"Then how could I remember this? Very first word I ever said to you, trapped in that cellar, surrounded by shop window dummies, oh…such a long time ago. I took your hand," he grabbed her hand in his and Rose glanced down for a second at them. The Doctor remembered how intensely _right _it still felt in that moment, to be near her and hold her hand, that still fit, maybe even better after the regeneration. "I said one word, just one word, I said 'run'."

"Doctor." Martha felt the Doctor shudder as Rose whispered his name with so much emotion and wondered how much he missed it – she didn't think she'd be able to inject that much meaning into just a name even if she tried.

"Hello." Martha couldn't help the silent swoon over the sweetness of the moment as he beamed down at his companion before she stumbled away. She looked up as she heard the Doctor swallow thickly and squeezed his hand, knowing there was nothing she could say, that any words of comfort she could possibly come up with would only cheapen their pain.

She watched in fascination as the Doctor went off on one of his rants, but with a certain enthusiasm that she had never seen before. The way he leapt up and down and danced around the rotor for a second – she didn't think she'd ever seen him so full of life and energy and… happiness.

_God, he really needs her… I've been so oblivious._

"It always used to be like this," her Doctor suddenly spoke out, his voice still low and cutting out slightly after every few syllables. "She just made everyone around her want to be… better. Everything always seemed… just better."

For the first time since she started travelling with him Martha didn't push him for more. She was ecstatically happy he had talked to her at all and would wait, as long as it took, for him to let her in.

"Do you want to leave?" The other Doctor was saying, looking suddenly awkward and unsure. That was one question Martha thought the two of them would never have to ask each other but after what had just happened… it was enough to make anyone want to leave. _Or apparently not, _she thought as Rose got a slightly horrified look on her face.

"Do you want me to leave?"

The Doctor shook his head at the memories and buried his head in his hands. How could she ever, EVER, think he would want her to leave?

"No! But, your choice. If you want to go home." As soon as his strong denial left his lips the scene unfocussed and came quickly back, obviously the TARDIS didn't want to give the Doctor any time to over think anything. Martha could see that already he looked to be on the verge of some sort of break down and she wasn't sure how she'd handle that. She watched as Rose sat over an unconscious Doctor, her mother standing beside her.

"Though, I still say we should take him to hospital."

"What's going on?" Martha asked the Doctor quickly. He looked up out of his hands and sighed as he saw the scene.

"I had regeneration sickness. Something went wrong and I had to recuperate… how is this playing?" For the first time a familiar spark of curiosity burned in his eyes and Martha was glad of its return; for now at least he was dealing, he could get through it. "I don't remember it so how can-" She decided to cut him off. Though she'd love nothing more than to listen to him ramble like any other normal day she knew that they should get this over and done with and them having conversations every few seconds making the scene stop wasn't the way to do it – the TARDIS obviously wanted them both to be paying attention, though Martha couldn't help but think the rest of this was more for the Doctor's benefit than hers.

"The TARDIS said she somehow had some of Rose's memories stored as well. I'd only seen one before this." He turned to her, eyes alight with interest.

"She was on Earth after you sent her away from that space station thing, got really upset with her mum and friend." He nodded in response before his eyes slid unconsciously back to Rose. She had noticed that even in his worst bits of memory he couldn't keep his eyes off her for more than a few seconds.

"We can't. They'd lock him up. They'd dissect him. One bottle of his blood could change the future of the human race." Rose spoke with a fierce protectiveness that Martha was rather surprised at hearing after her reaction in the TARDIS.

They both watched as Rose gently tended to the sleeping Time Lord, taking extra care in not waking him. She almost looked unsure of how close she could get, like she didn't want to overstep some invisible boundary.

"Leave him alone." Harsh words were thrown at her mother as she expressed a curiosity that Rose obviously didn't appreciate. _Didn't take long, _Martha thought with amusement at how Rose was treating this new Doctor like… well, like the old Doctor.

The Doctor felt it get harder to breath as he watched Rose take care of him. He never knew how protective she was of him against Jackie and he was rather surprised, especially as he had thought she was still having troubles with his regeneration while they were on New Earth and even after that… He didn't have any idea, at least back then, how much she really cared for him.

_I love you._

The sobbed words haunted him and the words he never got to say in return were even worse as he knew how devastated she would have been. As he watched he realized that he even missed Jackie. He knew that he genuinely missed her but he also knew it was also greatly, for a selfish reason. He knew whenever he had seen Jackie that Rose would not have been far away but now they were both gone and there was no reason for her to be on this Earth… no possible way she could be. He sighed silently and decided to at least enjoy seeing her perfect face and hearing her so care free while he could, before the bad memories came because he knew after he left this room he wouldn't be coming back, it'd be too hard.

Even now, after being in the room for various minutes he was still finding it incredibly difficult to curb the impulse to stand, rush to her and pull her into a bone-crushing hug and tell her the words he never got to say.

_A Time Lord who ran out of time. _He hated himself for that.

"The thing is, I thought I knew him mum. I thought me and him were… and then he goes and does this."

The Doctor stood straight and walked forward to stand right in front of Rose again and Martha, about to stop him, decided to let him go. Maybe it would help him to get out all the things he wanted to say, even though she would never hear him say them.

"Oh Rose," he whispered, he didn't seem to care that Martha was listening. She saw his entire face tremble as he raised a hand and let it stroke down her transparent cheek, as though it were a real touch. "We are. I'm so thick. I should have told you shouldn't I?" He asked rhetorically.

Martha heard the TARDIS hum in warning and knew that Doctor would probably lose it if she let him continue so she got up and once again pulled his stiff frame backwards as the blonde's face faded out of focus.

They were both shocked to attention as suddenly they were back in the bedroom as now Rose, Jackie and Mickey ran inside and slammed the door closed, what looked like a rapidly spinning tree chasing after them.

Martha couldn't help but grin at the highly unlikely situation but stopped and let her mouth fall open in abashed shock and awe as the short but simply inexplicable scene drew out in front of them.

"I'm gonna be killed by a Christmas tree," Rose's mother shrieked from where she was crouched in the corner.

They watched as Rose ran over, pulled out the sonic screwdriver and put it in the still unconscious Doctor's hand, leaning down beside him, running one hand through his hair as she aimed her mouth at his ear with no hesitation or doubt.

"Help me."

Martha snorted. _Like that'll-_

She couldn't and didn't stop the gasp of amazement as the Doctor shot up out of the bed and instantaneously blew up the threat.

"How?" Martha asked, unable to get anymore out of her paralyzed vocal chords.

The Doctor let a small, fond smile creep onto his face and stuffed his hands into his pockets. "Rose Tyler; only she would ever think to try that." He said it a particular way that had Martha looking up at him searchingly and asking-

"And that's why it worked isn't it? That's why she's so perfect. She always understood, she always knew the thing to do and trusted you completely, more than anyone else did, yeah? She was… right." Even as the strange words came out of her she knew what she meant, and apparently so did the Doctor because his smile widened just a fraction and he nodded, eyes sparkling with pride and joy and love, none of which was directed at her and for the first time, she didn't care.

_Thank-you Martha, I am proud of you. It will soon become very hard for the Doctor to remember the good; you must be strong because for once, he will not be. _She merely nodded back to the TARDIS, not wanting to interrupt the new scene the Doctor was watching with rapt attention, those same emotions even stronger in him now.

The boy, Mickey she heard him being called, stood with Rose in the bedroom door.

"You really love him don't you?" Mickey asked her, not getting response apart from Rose turning and burying her head into his shoulder for comfort.

"Even then," the Doctor whispered beside her. Martha couldn't help but take account of the fact that Mickey had still spoken in present tense; even after such a massive change it was blindingly obvious that she was still in love with the Time Lord.

She didn't have time to ponder though as she suddenly found herself in the same apartment but a different room, the two Tyler's and Mickey sitting around a table with mass food on top. She watched the happy scene as the Doctor walked in with his new suit on and looked over at Rose, as if waiting for her approval. A wide smile bloomed on both their faces as he walked forward and sat down with them, getting a paper Christmas hat out of a cracker, Rose doing the same not a minute later. Martha watched with something akin to disbelief.

"I thought you didn't do domestic?" She asked him, trying to keep him telling her things, thinking maybe he'd feel better after talking about his lost companion. He looked down at her from the scene and for the first time wore a wide, genuine grin.

"I did that day… and it was amazing." He said as he looked back at the gathering, eyes twinkling.

It was really only then that Martha realized; it wasn't just Rose that he lost. Watching him look around at everyone in the scene with delight, but an underlying sorrow, it was obvious he cared for all of them in their own specific way. He had lost a whole family.

"You look so happy," she couldn't help but comment, unable to hold back the distress in her voice because it upset her, even more than she thought it would, to know that while she had been with him, he had never even come close to that sort of happiness.

"I was." He muttered, not saying anymore as the images walked out the door, this time the scene not changing, just moving around them so that they were outside in the snow, once again on the outskirts of the huddled group to their left.

"Oh, that's beautiful. What are they, meteors?" Rose asked as she stood by the Doctor near the TARDIS, standing with a distance between her and the Doctor that hadn't been there since their first meeting, if ever.

"It's the spaceship breaking up in the atmosphere. This isn't snow, its ash." Martha looked up at the sky sadly, thinking of all the creatures that had died. She could figure out from what he'd said and the hint of disgust in his voice that there had been aliens aboard the said spaceship.

"That's awful." She spoke and watched as he nodded, his expression darkening a few shades.

"Okay, not so beautiful." Rose responded, the joy disappearing from her face as she was obviously just as opposed to the very thought as the Doctor was.

"This is a brand new planet Earth. No denying the existence of aliens now - everyone saw it. Everything's new."

Martha was curious about how this conversation would pan out as she saw Rose shift nervously and avoid eye contact as she began to speak. "And what about you? What are you gonna do next?"

"Well... back to the TARDIS... same old life." Martha screwed up her face as his rather obtuse answer.

"Oi, you could have said something a little bit more reassuring," she said to her Doctor, elbowing him playfully, trying not to let him get too upset.

"Well I thought her coming with me was obvious." He responded defensively, voice quieting a bit. "I'd never leave her behind."

Martha didn't say anything to that because it was clear that he was telling the truth and he really didn't think that it was necessary to bring it up at the time.

Rose looked up at him and looked to be on the verge of biting her nails of twitching nervously. Martha could only imagine how she would have reacted if he told her he was going to leave her behind. "On… On your own?" She looked as though she didn't want an answer as the Doctor let his gaze fall to hers in surprise, doubt flickering in his stare.

"Why, don't you want to come?" he asked in a way that suggested he was surprised to even have to ask.

"Well, yeah."

"Do you, though?"

"Yeah!"

"I just thought… 'cause I changed."

"Yeah, I thought, 'cause you changed... you might not want me anymore."

"Oh, I'd love you to come!"

"Okay!"

They laughed and beamed up at each other, neither seeming to realize that while they were talking they had inched closer together, almost like it was a reflex.

Martha couldn't help laugh at how awkward they were, she had never seen them act like that around each other before and she thought it was amazing how oblivious they were to each other's feeling when they seemed to know everything else that mattered about each other. She was surprised, but happy, to here her Doctor let out a tiny huff of laughter as well, once again running his hand through his hair.

"I think that was the strangest conversation I ever had with her… It always came so natural with her." He looked down at Martha, trying to gauge her reaction to everything, not wanting to share too much or make her jealous again but he didn't see anything like that on her face and he couldn't help but hope maybe she had stopped with her crush on him.

"You're never gonna stay, are you?"

Martha kept watching the scene, not taking her eyes off it while she spoke to the Time Lord beside her. "It took him that long to figure it out. I swear, after watching you two for ten minutes I could have told him that."

"Yeah, good old Mickey the Idiot." Even with the rather offensive nickname he said with such a fondness that it couldn't be doubted the man was his friend. "He always was a bit slow." His eyes were glassy again but his lips still curved up in a smile so Martha figured everything was okay, for now.

"There's just so much out there. So much to see. I've got to."

Mickey smiled, resigned but still unhappy. _Obviously another Rose admirer,_** Martha thought jokingly. "**Yeah." Was all he said, unsurprised.

"Well, I reckon you're mad. The pair of you. It's like you go looking for trouble."

Martha smiled more widely. _Oh, if only she knew how much that was true. _She knew without looking that the Doctor was sharing her smile, thinking the same thing.

"Trouble's just the bits in-between." The hologram Doctor said as he bounced up to Jackie, putting an arm around her with an enthusiasm Martha was quickly getting used to, only hoping that she might see it again once all this was over, but not expecting it. "It's all waiting out there, Jackie. It's brand new to me."

Rose smiled at him fondly, evidently all ready mostly at ease with his new body and personality.

"All those planets, creatures and horizons. I haven't seen them yet! Not with these eyes." He moved back to Rose and stood right next to her, close enough that their arms brushed against each other, this time no hesitation in the closeness. "And it is gonna be... fantastic."

Obviously missing some inside joke or understanding she watched as Rose the image Doctor and her Doctor all shared identical grins as he finished and held out his hand towards Rose.

"That hand of yours still gives me the creeps."

Martha frowned questioningly. "My hand got chopped off in a fight with the Sycorax… it grew back," he added when he saw Martha shooting curious glances at his hands, as if expected one to suddenly not be there any more.

The Doctor grinned and wiggled his fingers at Rose, obviously not giving up until she took it, which she did, stepping closer to him and affectionately brushing some ash off his jacket arm, twisting their arms around each other slightly because of their closeness.

"So, where're we gonna go first?" Rose asked, familiar and contagious excitement burning in her eyes.  
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**"Um. That way. No, hold on... that way." He pointed to some random spot in the sky, or… random as far as Martha could tell.

"That way?"

"Hmm?" The Doctor looked down at her for approval just as she nodded.

"Yeah. That way."

They smiled at each other for a few seconds and then gaze up at the night-sky, hand in hand.

"Really? Is that what you two called a plan?" She asked him jokingly.

He shifted and shrugged. "Not like it really mattered, the TARDIS never ends up where I want it to anyway."

The Doctor looked to be deep in thought when something obviously crossed his mind and he looked up at the ceiling despairingly.

"Oh… oh that's just not fair."

Martha looked at him curiously. "What is it Doctor?"

He sighed and looked around him, making her suddenly realize that they were now standing on a hill with a view that she had seen before.

"Martha, welcome back to New Earth… Good Lord this is going to be embarrassing."

She decided to forget his comment for the moment as he and a very excited Rose stepped out of the TARDIS and looked around.

**A/N Hmm… not really sure if I did the Doctor well or not. I think maybe he should be having more reactions or something but I really want to save a lot of the emotional, drama angst for when the story gets to later in the season. Also, I'm not entirely sure if I should keep it like this, mostly in Martha's POV (kinda), or if I should start putting it more in the Doctors POV (Staying in third person of course). Tell me what you think.**

**Once again, thank you sooooo much for all the wonder reviews. Please keep it up.**

**Metal.**


	5. New Earth

**A/N Okay, so this is the first chapter I've done this in but I've added a tiny bit of my own stuff that wasn't actually in the series, just some stuff to help along this idea, a sweet little thing between Rose and Doctor I liked and wanted to put in. I hope no one minds. I will probably do it again because I have an idea for another one when I do Doomsday. Also, the chapters will start going through more than one episode each after this again, I just wanted to include so much of this episode because its one of my favourites and I couldn't help myself.**

**In regards to the beginning of the chapter; I know I said they were standing on a hill but I forgot about this bit and really wanted to add it in.**

**Disclaimer: I own absolutely no rights to Doctor Who or any of it's spin offs, I only wish I did. But this is as close as I will get so please don't sue!**

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Chapter 5: New Earth

Martha and the Doctor watched as the two images controlled the TARDIS together.

"Are you ever going to teach me how to do that?" Martha asked, only half joking. The Doctor looked down at her, face set in stone with an unbelievably serious look on his face considering their conversation not half a minute ago.

"No." He said, turning back to the scene. He wasn't trying to be cruel or unfair but for now at least that was something he wanted to stay between the two of them. He didn't want to have to re-teach someone else because he knew the memories it would bring up and that would only make travelling together all the more depressing for them both.

They were transported then, onto a grass hilltop just as Rose and the other Doctor ambled out of the TARDIS to look over the city in delight, Rose's mouth falling open in awe at the speeding vehicles above their heads.

"It's the year five billion and twenty three... we're in the galaxy M87, and this... this is New Earth." The Doctor explained, Martha remembering the quite different experience she had shared with the Doctor.

"That's just... that's-" It seemed though that the petite Londoner couldn't get the words out because she burst into light giggles while still looking around.

Martha couldn't help but look back at her travels with the Doctor. Sure, she had always been excited about where they were but she also always felt a sort of wariness and experience as a Doctor had made it difficult for her to show such unadulterated, childish joy. She thought as she looked between the two Doctors that maybe that was what the Doctor needed. It wasn't _just _Rose, it was her attitude to everything, everywhere and when they went. Her outlook never dimed and she never stopped appreciating the whole adventurous lifestyle.

The Doctor seemed to know what she was thinking, again, and spoke up. "People look down on others for doing things like working in a shop but that… that is what always made her so different." He compulsively swallowed and cleared his throat to prevent the break in his voice they both knew was just below the surface.

"Not bad. Not bad at all!" The Doctor said to Rose, smiling down at her, hands in pockets as he simply observed her reaction, something which the new Doctor hardly ever did. Now he was always so focused on moving on, get into the action. He didn't have, or didn't want, the time to look at the little things but Martha got that it was because the only thing it would do would be to bring back old and painful memories; like the one they were watching now.

"That's amazing. I'll never get used to this. Never. Different ground beneath my feet!" Rose bounced up and down on the spot to emphasize her point and Martha laughed, as did the real Doctor. _She really must have been such fun to travel with, _Martha reflected.

"Different sky... What's that smell?"

"Apple grass." The Doctor answered her, reaching down and plucking some out of the ground.

"Apple grass!" Rose said back in the same expression. _God, she never misses a beat. _Martha couldn't believe how… similar the Doctor and Rose were. They complimented each other amazingly well and could almost shift their entire personality around what the other was feeling at the time. _It's like they share a brain or something. _Martha silently pondered her new thought and laughed internally knowing she was probably being a bit over-dramatic.

"Yeah, yeah!" The Doctor laughed out, drawing off Rose's energy and imitating her delight.

"That's beautiful!" Rose gazed up at the Doctor and as she began speaking again, linked their arms to bring them so close to each other's side she was almost pressed up against him. Martha cackled at the thought of what the Doctor's reaction would be if she tried doing the same thing. He'd probably stutter and pull away and then wouldn't talk to her for the rest of the day. "Oh I love this. Can I just say? Travelling with you, I love it." Rose said in earnest looking up at him with complete sincerity and love.

The Doctor's grin only widened as he looked back at her, bringing their faces even closer together. "Me to… Come on!" With that he took his hands out of his pockets, grasped onto hers firmly and pulled her down the hill, running through the breeze and laughing elatedly.

She sighed; sometimes it still hurt knowing that she wasn't doing anything to ease his pain, even though she really did try. The Doctor looked down at her sigh and gave her an apologetic look.

"Do you always know what I'm thinking?" With that he just gave her a knowing look and tapped the side of his nose playfully before looking back at the scene. He was infinitely glad that this seemed to be improving Martha's attitude to everything instead of the other way around. Though it was hard sometimes, having someone there when all he wanted was the blonde his eyes were right now fixed on, he knew he wasn't ready to be alone. Donna was right; if he stayed on his own he'd probably end up either going the same way all the other Time Lord's did or, with all probability, though he didn't like to think about it, would end up somehow getting himself killed, having already come close multiple times since that battle at Canary Wharf.

It seemed as though the scene had changed but they were only a few meters away from where they were before, now watching the Doctor and Rose sprawled out beside each other sharing his coat as a blanket.

"So, the year five billion, the sun expands, the Earth gets roasted."

"That was our first date." She pretended she didn't notice but Martha heard the whisper coming from the Doctor, saying the line with Rose. She felt a lump in her throat; she had noticed since his regeneration in the memories the Doctor had stopped denying the little things that made Rose and he closer than friends, just like this. Any time a person mistakenly took herself and him as something more he would waste no time in vehemently refuting it. But it seemed like, as the Doctor said his response - "we had chips" – with a soft smile and a twinkle in his eyes, that the both of them knew how the other felt. It was entirely mutual and understood between them and Martha was sure, even after she was gone, that he would keep contradicting such statements from people about him and his other, future companions. She knew then that it wasn't just her; she doubted the Doctor would have trouble thinking of anyone else like that ever again… or at least not for a few decades. She couldn't help but wonder what was holding them back.

"So anyway, planet gone, all rocks and dust, but the human race lives on, spread out across the stars. Soon as the Earth burns up oh, yeah, they get all nostalgic, big revival movement, but find this place!"

"You know something I noticed?" Martha asked her Doctor rhetorically, glancing up at him.

"What?" His voice only showing a mild hint of curiosity, his eyes blazing as he recalled that adventure, cursing Cassandra.

"I've always known you hardly talk about yourself, though you do talk constantly. But I never realized how much you just rattle off the information. You only explain because you have to. Looking at you then, you spoke because you wanted to. You enjoyed it; you _loved _it, even just talking to her… but not anymore." Her voice drifted off sadly near the end.

She saw him turn towards her, his mouth open and ready to form an apology but she quickly waved him off. "I'm not upset with you and I'm not self-pitying. I just wish somehow you could get that back."

"Martha… that part of me got ripped away at the same time she did." Her eyes widened as she looked at his anguished face. He had told her that Rose was still alive but he had never used something so descriptive.

_Ripped… Oh God, what happened to them?_

"New New York." She was brought back to the scene by the Doctor answering a question she herself had asked not so very long ago and was very interested to see how the conversation would pan out and how different it would be to hers with the Doctor.

"Oh, come on." The blonde stated disbelievingly.

"It is! It's the City of New New York!" He paused and once again, for what felt like the millionth time Martha was shocked speechless that his response was identical to what he had said to her. "Strictly speaking, it's the fifteenth New York since the original. So that makes it New New New New New New New New New New New New New New York."

_Amazing. _She thought it must be the same as what he had told her about Gallifrey. What was it? _He lied because he liked it… He wanted to pretend. _He had been re-enacting his times with Rose with her without her even noticing it… maybe without him even noticing steeled herself for a moment and slipped an arm around his waist, hoping he wouldn't take it the wrong way, and squeezed him comfortingly just once and then let go. It had become common knowledge to her that he no longer welcomed any sort of prolonged contact so she would help him any way he would let her. She could see that she did, even just a tiny bit, as his posture relaxed slightly; obviously afraid of what her reaction was going to be.

"What?" The Doctor asked as Rose looked at him with an odd, contemplative expression.

"You're so different." Even though the words could be taken many ways she didn't say it with disappointment or anger or resentment. In fact the only things Martha could detect in her voice were curiosity and awe.

"New New Doctor." Rose giggled and the Doctor chuckled in turn.

Out of the corner of her eye Martha saw the Doctors smile widen as he heard Rose's laugh. "She accepted it so quickly… most of my companions, well; most humans I doubt would take it so well."

Martha nodded and pursed her lips. "I've got to admit; when I saw what happened and thought about it I wasn't sure I'd be able to handle it." She didn't say any more, even now unsure as to what she would do, and not wanting to lie to the Doctor. He only shot her a crooked half-smile in acceptance and blinked slowly as the scene abruptly changed the next only lasting a few seconds before moving on again.

A cat nun walked by Rose and the Doctor and they both had to laugh at Rose's expression, who stared at the nurse until she was fully behind her.

"They're cats," Rose stated obviously and pointing, her statement coming out as more of a question like she thought her eyes were deceiving her.

"Now, don't stare. Think what you look like to them, all..." He looked her up and down a conflicted look on his face before he hesitantly spit out, "Pink and yellow."

As the scene shifted Martha let out an undignified snort of laughter. "What?" the Doctor yelped in self-defense.

"Pink and yellow? That's the best you could come up with?"

The Doctor frowned at her, crossing his arms defensively over his suit clad chest. "What's wrong with that?"

Martha looked at him incredulously. "Nothing. But I can guess what you were really thinking and none of it included her being "pink and yellow"," she clapped a hand over her mouth to stop more sound escaping as he, for the first time in her recollection, became rather sheepish, a very faint pink tinge appearing on his cheeks; though she took note of the fact he still didn't deny it.

He cleared his throat and started turning back around as he had turned to face her fully during their little discussion. "Right back to watching ey?" As he caught sight of scene behind him his eyes widened and he spun back to look at her, not letting her see it as his own voice came from behind him followed by Rose's.

"Because if they've got the best medicine in the world then why's it such a secret?"

"I can't Adam and Eve it." Her voice had a strange accent and Martha got even more curious as to the Doctor's attitude.

"Doctor, what's-" she was cut off by his rather frantic pleading with the TARDIS,

"Come on old girl, she doesn't need to see this. Come on… Just skip it." A rumbling hum enveloped the room for a split second, which Martha could translate as the TARDIS laughing at his plight.

"What's… what's with the voice?" The holographic Doctor asked Rose.

"Come on Doctor move it, it can't be that bad." Martha lightly shoved the Doctor to the side and saw him slouch beside her in defeat, sighing in something between resignation and embarrassment.

_Oh, this is going to be good, _Martha thought, letting a sly smile cross her lips.

"Oh, I don't know, just larking about New Earth... New me..." Martha grimaced in confusion to the way the young girl was acting.

"She was possessed," the Doctor answered her unspoken question quickly, not making eye contact when she looked over at him for a moment. "And I didn't know at the time."

She saw Rose, or whoever it was, look the Doctor up and down with an almost predatorily gleam in her eye and a slightly dark smile crooked on her lips. Martha thought she could see where it was going as she saw the Doctor's gaze fall to the blonde's unbuttoned top, eyes shooting quickly up again, forcing her to try and hold back the hysteric grin that threatened to come out.

"Well, I can talk. New New Doctor." Obviously he was trying to get back to some casual territory, which as he was about to find out, wouldn't work.

"Mmm, aren't you just." Rose's eyes suddenly darkened a few shades and she started looking… hungry. Suddenly, without any ado what so ever she lurched forward, grabbing his face between her palms and pressed her lips to his in a frenzied kiss, hands running intimately through his hair and holding his head to hers before pulling away and panting for air, both looking rather breathless and dazed.

Martha couldn't help the laugh that escaped her as she chuckled away because of the looks on both their faces. "Oh, I bet you both enjoyed that."

"Martha, stop it." His voice wasn't harsh or even completely serious but it made her laughter stop in its tracks anyway. When she looked up at him again he was still studying the scene intently and she figured out then why the TARDIS didn't skip the scene. It was because she knew what both their reactions would be and they both had something to learn from it.

Looking at him it was obvious he was remembering that situation and the fact was... he did like it. And that made it all the harder for him to watch and remember because they both knew he wouldn't have that chance again and it took him watching it for a second time and seeing someone else laugh at it to make him realize that he actually treasured the memory, even though it wasn't really her… Because it was.

She had remembered. When they went back into the time vortex in the TARDIS after New Earth she had apologized to him for it. When she did he didn't accept or deny the apology, didn't say anything. He just looked at her, smiled gently and caught her in a gentle hug, one which they stay captured in for exactly 23 minutes, all of which he sealed away in a part of his mind reserved for the best memories, and ended up with them leaning against the rotor's panel, eyes closed and almost drifting off to sleep in each other's arms.

He would never tell anyone about that 23 minutes and he knew the TARDIS would not include it in the memories. But he was suddenly very grateful she did deny him his plea because now he understood just how important it was to him; a perfect moment of balance between their usual playfulness and their hidden feelings, always kept away and taking an impulsive, possessive mind to make it physically show… he was thankful to Cassandra for that.

"T-terminal's this way." So the memory continued and Martha stored away the new information that told her a bit more of how to react in certain situations with the Doctor. She was beginning to see and understand more and more of what it takes to set the Doctor off and she noticed now that she was able to read the Doctor's different expressions more easily now. She hoped the new talent would stay after they had left this room.

As they watched the new scene it struck Martha that she had never seen the Doctor have such strong emotions, the exception perhaps being when he had stood in front of that Dalek and screamed at it to kill him, the very thought of it making her shiver.

"Just to confirm... none of the Humans in the city actually know about this?" The obviously still possessed Rose asked.

"We thought it best not-" Martha couldn't help but wonder what exactly those cat people were, but didn't have time to ponder her question as it kept on going.

"Hold on. I can understand the bodies. I can understand your vows. But one thing I can't understand, what have you done to Rose?"

"Oh,' Martha exclaimed, raising her eyebrows and cocking a smile at him, "I was wondering when you were going to figure it out."

"By then I had known for quite a while." He admitted to her quietly, a sliver of the rage he felt back then now burning in his deep brown orbs.

"I don't know what you mean." The cat woman denied.

The Doctor next spoke in a quiet, but terrifying, voice that Martha hoped and prayed was never directed at her. "And I'm being very, very calm. You want to beware of that, very, very calm. And the only reason I'm being so very, very calm is that the brain is a delicate thing. Whatever you've done to Rose's head, I want it reversed." Martha gulped, suddenly feeling very sorry for whoever had actually done something to Rose. The Time Lord's gaze so intense it made the cat woman shrink slightly in fear.

"We haven't done anything."

"I'm perfectly fine." The possessed Rose butted in unconvincingly.

"These people are dying, and Rose would care." The Doctor ignored Rose's comment.

"Oh, all right, clever clogs." The not-Rose spun him around to face her. "Smarty pants." Her voice dropped to a strangely husky tone, "lady-killer."

"Wow, she really had a thing for you." Martha stated pointlessly, trying to lighten the atmosphere, knowing it was working at least a little as she got a response.

"Yes she did rather. Funny thing is, Rose was still in there and Cassandra hadn't been in there long enough to compress her completely. Which means if my brilliant little pink and yellow human had_ really_ wanted to stop her from doing anything she could have." He grinned down at her cheekily, joy dancing in his eyes and Martha sniggered at him. It was so nice to hear him talking about Rose like that for once, instead of the doom and gloom that usually surrounded the subject. She smiled as she heard the possession in his voice as he described Rose to her in, probably, the only way he knew how.

The Doctor and Rose rushed into a new room that the other Doctor and Martha suddenly found themselves standing in, slamming the door behind them, trying the other doors and finding some sort zombies behind them.

Martha looked at him questioning, to which he closed his eyes and shook his head. "Don't even ask, too complicated."

"We're trapped! What're we going to do?" Rose… or Cassandra asked in a very whiny and panicking voice.

"Well, for starters, you're going to leave that body." His sonic screwdriver was out and his face was set in an unforgiving, angry frown.

"That psycho graft is banned on every civilized planet! You're compressing Rose to death." Martha gasped; when the Doctor talked about Rose being compressed she didn't think it could kill her. She abruptly comprehended why the Doctor was so extremely angry; Rose's life was actually in danger.

"But I've got nowhere to go. My original skin's dead." The slightly feral look in Rose's eyes was one she hadn't seen before and wouldn't mind not seeing again.

"Not my problem. You can float as atoms in the air. Now, get out." This was a new, slightly more unforgiving Doctor than she was used to and she wondered if anyone else had ever provoked such reactions from him.

He pointed his sonic screwdriver at her. "Give her back to me." Martha internally and uncharactistically _aww_'ed at the utter sweetness of the command, a rare emotion coming from the Doctor.

"You asked for it."

"I wish it was that easy now." Martha chose not to comment on the murmur that seemed to accidently escape her Doctor and just nudged his arm affectionately.

A cloud of light was transferred from Rose to the Doctor and Martha gaped, not able to hide her delight at being able to see the Doctor being possessed by a woman, as she figured that was what had just happened.

_Should be interesting to say the least. _She cackled internally.

"Blimey, my head. Where's she go?" Rose muttered while looking around the room in confusion before her eyes fell upon the Doctor, who was now righting himself… or herself.

"Oh, my. This is... different."

"Oh God,' Martha's Doctor groaned, again scrapping his hands through his hair, obviously wishing to be anywhere but there, watching something that was sure to end up rather embarrassing for him.

"So, do you remember all this then?" He nodded at Martha and screwed up his nose childishly as she laughed at him.

"Cassandra?" Rose asked, wanting to be sure.

"Goodness me, I'm a man. Yum. So many parts! And hardly used." It was hilarious to see the way the Doctor's body wiggled around, his voice a distinctly higher and more girlish pitch.

"Ah! Ah! Two hearts! Oh, baby, I'm beating out a samba!" _Oh God, I would have loved to see this live, _Martha thought, unable to get out anything aloud as she was trying valiantly to keep in her chuckles.

"Get out of him." Rose very nearly snarled at the woman, looking like she was angry but fighting some amusement.

They all watched as one of the Doctor's hands slid down his own body in a way that would be inappropriate and highly disturbing if it were actually him. "Ooh, he's slim. And a little bit foxy." His eyebrows raised in a comical expression as his/her gaze fixed on Rose and he began advancing on the girl.

"You've thought so too. I've been inside your head." Rose suddenly looked at the ground sheepishly, a blush rising in her cheeks, al though this presented yet another situation where the Doctor or Rose was put into a position where such a thing was being suggested and yet another instance when neither denied it, not even a stutter of defense, which Martha found absolutely amazing because if they were trying to hide their feelings for each other then they failed miserably.

The Doctor's voice became even more teasing after that. "You've been looking... you like it."

As the zombies burst through the scene changed and Martha was laughing outright now, the Doctor grinning down at her; even if it was embarrassing for him it was still nice to hear confirmation about how Rose had felt about him. Even now, after all these memories, he felt a pang in his chest every time a new scene presented itself, every time he thought her name and every time he thought about all the things they never did.

They were now standing back in the ward, just as Cassandra once again changed bodies.

"You can't, Cassandra, you-" the Doctor unsuccessfully tried to stop the woman, quickly catching Rose and pulling her body into his as she fell with a gasp.

"Oh, you all right?" He asked her concernedly.

Rose paused and the Doctor watched her intensely ready as she fell again and wrapped his arm a bit further around her.

'Whoa! Okay?" He straightened her and looked straight into her eyes, probably basking in the fact they were finally her own eyes again, he could once again see Rose shining out of them.

"Yeah." Rose muttered, still a bit out of sorts. She quickly got her bearings and returned the Doctor's gaze, the instant her eyes caught his her mouth widened in a grin. "Hello." She stated simply.

He smiled back with an identical expression. "Hello. Welcome back."

"Really? That's the big reunion?" Martha asked, only half sarcastic.

The Doctor shrugged, a lopsided smile spreading on his face contagiously. "That's how it always was."

**A/N I could have kept going and included "Tooth and Claw" in this chapter but I wanted to end it here and really wanted to dedicate a whole chapter to "New Earth". Hope everyone liked this, tell me any time its getting repetitive or there's too much of Martha and not enough Doctor or vise versa, or not enough or both. Can't wait to hear from you.**

**Metal.**


	6. Tooth and Claw

**A/N Wow, guys I just want to say thank you so much for all your wonderful reviews. I'm so happy everyone likes this story so much because when I started it I thought hardly anyone would even read it. So please keep up with the feedback and I promise I'll keep writing… it should only be about six more chapters so I hope I can keep you all interested. SORRY FOR ANY MISTAKES!**

**Disclaimer: I own no rights to Doctor Who, nor any of its spin-offs. This is merely a creative outlet.**

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Chapter 6: Tooth and Claw – School Reunion

They were back inside the TARDIS looking around as they saw the Doctor appear in the room holding a CD in one hand, Rose standing near her bag as she turned to the Doctor.

"What do you think of this? Will it do?" She asked, gesturing to the dungaree skirt she was wearing over her purple top.

The Doctor looked her quickly up and down. "In the late 1970s? You'd be better off in a bin bag. Hold on, listen to this." He turned and put the CD into the player on the TARDIS controls and "Hit me with your rhythm Stick" blasted through the TARDIS.

Martha turned to the Doctor to look at him disbelievingly while he looked away sheepishly.

"You played music in the TARDIS?" He shrugged at her, trying in vain to ignore the glare she sent his way. Her anger, he knew, was stemming from the fact that quite some time ago when she claimed to being bored because he was tinkering away with the TARDIS he had told her the ship couldn't play music when she had suggested it.

"I… forgot?" His explanation came out as more of a question and he knew it was hopeless, wildly gesturing back to the scene. "Better keep watching, it'll only be played once." He spoke with fake enthusiasm and Martha scoffed at him, nevertheless going back to concentrating on the actions going on around them. The Doctor cleared his throat and hoped that the TARDIS wouldn't show anymore things that would get him into any more trouble than he was surely already in.

"Ian Dury and the Blockheads. Number One in 1979."

"You're a Punk!" Rose exclaimed, looking shocked and just a bit hysterically amused at the revelation, her expression matching Martha's in the moment.

"It's nice to be a lunatic-" The Doctor sung and Martha mouth dropped open. He must have been so happy that day and she couldn't help but wonder why. She thought of throwing the man beside her a questioning glance but out of the corner of her eye she saw a tiny curl of his lips and a glazed look in his eye like he was remembering and she knew he'd never tell her.

"That's what you are. A big old Punk with a bit of Rockabilly thrown in." They walked around the TARDIS, synchronized, both throwing in a few skips here and there to the music. They moved the same way and Martha watched Rose as she dragged her hand along the console as she circled, bringing her hand up and off it in a sweeping caress.

"God, she looks just like you." The Doctor looked down at her, surprised and looked back at Rose another smile coming to his face as he stuffed his hands back in his pockets.

"I suppose she does yeah." His eyes sparkled with what Martha could only interpret as a long forgotten happiness, like he was rediscovering everything. And she was sure that he was, for the first time not afraid to think of the girl in fear of his seemingly never ending pain that they both knew he held within.

"Would you like to see him?"

Rose's mouth dropped open, her eyes never leaving the spinning man just across from her. "How'd you mean? In concert?"

"What else is a TARDIS for?" His voice rose in pitch like it did when he got excited and their dance got even more flamboyant. "I can take you to the Battle of Trafalgar, the first anti-gravity Olympics, Caesar crossing the Rubicon, or... Ian Dury at the Top Rank, Sheffield, England, Earth, 21st November, 1979. What do you think?" Martha thought that was another thing to jot down as being different in the way he was. He hardly ever gave her to choice of where to go and even when he did they didn't end up there, for some reason she began thinking maybe he was doing that on purpose.

"Sheffield it is!"

"Hold on tight."

As he pulled a lever and they lurch forward the Doctor braced himself for the next, however many, scenes. He knew that from here the things they would be made to watch, while interesting for Martha, would make it extremely difficult for him to keep it together. He knew she wouldn't be expecting it, he never showed his emotions for a good reason. Because when they did come out they were fierce and unforgiving and he knew that this ending wasn't a happy one and when they got to it his barriers would be shattered, utterly and completely.

He drew in a breath, folded his arms across his chest and let a fake smile show so as to not worry Martha, at least trying to remember all the fun he used to have travelling. Travelling in the TARDIS with Rose Tyler... as it should be.

He watched as they stood side by side, Rose helping to fly as she did more often than he'd ever let anyone else, watching him intently as he smashed the console with one of his sledge hammers.

"Stop!" If any of his other companions had said that to him he knew he would have looked at them like they were crazy and starting spouting on about how it was his TARDIS, but not Rose. He listened and watched as they fell backwards, landing right beside each other and giggling with glee; he only wished that someday he would be able to feel like that again.

Martha grinned sadly at the pair as they climbed up, already chattering a way. She really wished that just once she could see the Doctor like this in real life, for him to give some sign that one day he would be alright.

"1979. Hell of a year!"

They bounded towards the door as the Doctor babbled about the year, Rose reacting to everything he saying, a laugh and a clap , never stepping out of reaching distance.

"China invades Vietnam, the Muppet Movie! Love that film. Margaret Thatcher," he screwed up his face and made a disagreeable noise making Rose laugh. "Skylab falls to Earth, with a little help from me. Nearly took off my thumb."

At Rose's grin the scene shifted, now outside walking behind a carriage, surrounded by red and black dressed guards on horses.

"Got it wrong again did you?" Martha asked in all good humour. "How much by this time?"

He shrugged casually, scratching his ear. "Oh, only… a hundred years," he rushed and pointed back to the scene, indicating she should watch.

She rolled her eyes at him but did as he suggested any way.

"It's funny though, 'cause you say 'assassination' and you just think of Kennedy and stuff. Not her."

"1879; she's had, oh... six attempts on her life? And I'll tell you something else: we just met Queen Victoria." He looked down at the blonde with a childlike expression of exhilaration, nudging her just as she nudged him back, her voice imitating his.

"I know!"

"What a laugh."

"She was just sitting there!" Rose exclaimed as she latched onto his arm and squeezing before letting go, keeping up the almost constant contact the two seemed to need to share. Martha couldn't help but roll her eyes at them; they just couldn't keep their hands off each other.

"Like a stamp."

"I want her to say 'we are not amused," Rose said putting on a fake accent, "I net you five quid I can make her say it."

"Well, if I gambled on that, it'd be an abuse of my privileges of traveler in time."

"Ten quid?" Rose bargained.

"Done."

"Oi! How come we never do stuff like that?" Martha accused with a screech like aspect to her voice.

"Well because you've never brought it up." He didn't start these things with companions, he went along with their personality, not the other way around but Rose just got him the same way he got her. It was as easy as breathing for them because they both understood what they could get away with and what was too far.

There must have been something in his eyes that said he didn't want to keep talking about it because Martha looked away looking just slightly more put out now than before and grudgingly went back to the memory.

They were suddenly standing in a small dirty courtyard, a woman she could only assume was the queen standing not far talking to a new man.

"And please excuse the naked girl." The queen said almost as an afterthought.

"Sorry." Though the blonde didn't look sorry at all.

"She's a feral child. I bought her for sixpence in old London Town. It was her or the Elephant Man, so-" Martha gaped at the accent that sounded so natural and for the first time wondered if his voice was really his or if he only made it sound like that to put in Earthly companions at ease.

"English is what comes most natural to me… at least while I'm speaking in English." He explained, once again not needing her to talk.

"Thinks he's funny but I'm so not amused." Martha laughed at the attempt but the look the queen through at the young girl was anything but amused. "What do you think, Ma'am?"

"It hardly matters. Shall we proceed?"

The other man nodded and they began to make their way into the house.

"So close." Rose whispered to the Doctor, leaning into his side as if they weren't close enough already.

The Doctor shook his head at her smiling, obviously finding it as funny as she did.

Just like that they stood in yet another room, inside this time with a huge telescope. The Doctor and Rose moved forward to examine the telescope and the wheel that sat next to it.

"What did he model it on?"

"I know nothing about it. To be honest, most of us thought him a little shall we say, eccentric." The Doctor gave a dopey laugh. He'd be a hypocrite if he accused anyone else of being eccentric, Martha was sure he liked this man already.

The as of yet, unidentified man continued speaking. "I wish now I'd spent more time with him and listened to his stories."

The Doctor peered through the bottom of the scope, frowning. "It's a bit rubbish."

Rose turned to look at him, grinning presumably at how rude he was being.

"How many prisms has it got? Way too many. The magnification's gone right over the top, that's stupid kind of a—" He cut off mid-sentence as if realizing something and turned to Rose, speaking quietly. "-am I being rude again?"

"Yep."

"But it's pretty! It's very… pretty." He finished quickly after her affirmative answer.

The real Doctor chuckled and blinked a few times. "I always did need her to pull me back into line."

Martha mentally growled and wondered how the other girl did it. Every time she tried something along the same lines the Doctor would start rambling on about how inferior her human brain was and how she just didn't understand him and his genius.

Rose patted him fondly on the arm and the Doctor felt his same arm twitch, almost in anticipation like it was expecting the touch but felt nothing. He sighed, he could only imagine what the feeling would be like… to touch her again. He shook himself quickly out of such dangerous thinking; it would not do to hope and wish over impossible things.

"And the imagination of it should be applauded."

"Mm, thought you might disapprove, Your Majesty. Stargazing. Isn't that a bit fanciful?" Rose asked, clearly trying to gain the wager once more. Martha laughed again and started hoping she would win.

Queen Victoria stared at her for a few seconds.

"You could easily... not be amused, or something...? No?" She finished, stumbled ineloquently over her words as the Doctor rubbed one of his eyes and fighting the amusement he was obviously feeling.

"This device surveys the infinite work of God."

The Doctor shook his head at Rose again, smiling looking about to start laughing out loud.

The fast forward effect happened again and now the queen was looking back at Rose.

"And then supper. And could we find some clothes for Miss Tyler? I'm tired of nakedness."

"It's not amusing, is it?" Rose stated pointedly, watching her expectantly, disappointed as the queen turned away and ignored the comment. They watched as the Doctor muttered something at Rose, too quiet to hear as the blonde poked him in the chest playfully.

"What did you say?" Martha asked, still unable to get over the level of physical contact and closeness they shared and how casually unaware of it they both were, like it was the most natural thing for them to do.

The Doctor's serene smile widening at her question but his mouth never opening to answer.

The hologram Time Lord now sat at a dinner table, the queen looking sad as they talked about her husband.

"And that's the charm of a ghost story isn't it? Not the scares and chills that's just for children but the hope of some contact with the great beyond. We all want some message from that place it's the creator's greatest mystery that we are allowed no such consolation."

The Doctors look in the scene showed the pain he felt from the loss of his planet, his home and his people. He was someone who could obvious completely understand what she was saying. Martha tore her eyes away from the scene to look up at her Doctor to see how he had reacted to it. His face was frozen, identical to the memory but this time it wasn't just the loss of the Time Lords that was haunting him and his pain was at least doubled.

He had told her the Rose was not dead, just lost, but she knew that sometimes it must feel as if she were to him because for some reason it was nigh on impossible to ever see the girl again. She sighed, _nothing will ever fix this… I wonder if there's any point in trying._

_There's always a point in trying. _The TARDIS' voice popped into her head for the first time in quite a while. She saw the Doctor stiffen beside her and knew that if the TARDIS had sent the message to both of them than he must have been thinking something similar to her and thought though made her want to shake him and shout and scream at him for giving up.

When their attention was brought back to the memory Rose stood in a barn, looking cautiously at a hunched man in a cage.

"Don't, child." One of the women warned.

Rose ignored her, of course and knelt on the ground when she was as far as the chains would allow. Martha heard the Doctor make a noise under his breath that sounded suspiciously like a growl as her restraints rattled.

"Who are you?" Rose asked, fear only letting a tiny shake enter her words. This was the first time Martha had seen anyone other than the Doctor confront the horrors they passed by every day, she shouldn't be surprised that it was Rose.

"Don't enrage him." The man demanded, scared.

"Where are you from? You're not from Earth. What planet are you from?"

"Ohhh, intelligence." They could tell the creature was not mocking her. _Amazing, even bloody aliens think she's better than the rest of us. _Martha thought resentfully, forgetting for a moment that the man next to her was an alien, in her mind trying to quash the negative feeling but unable to do so. Even though she didn't deserve it she couldn't help thinking about Rose like that sometimes. _Old habits die hard I suppose._

"Where were you born?" Rose continued her questioning, her mind obviously ready to slot any useful information away, ready for when the Doctor found her.

"This body… ten miles away; a weakling, heartsick boy. Stolen away at night by the brethren from my cultivation. I carved out his soul and sat in his heart." He spoke quietly threateningly with a false air of weakness. Martha shivered and whispered to the Doctor, though she knew quite well by then no one would hear her.

"What is he?"

The Doctor's face transformed into a delighted grin. "A werewolf."

She eyes widened. "No way," she exclaimed disbelievingly. "So are fairies and lepricorns and vampires real now as well?" The Doctor looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, that's not what they call themselves." He didn't say anymore.

"Oh my god." She shook her head in disbelief.

"All right. So the body's human, but what about you? The thing inside?" She asked catching on quickly and not letting the creature get away with anything.

"So far from home." The boy whined pitifully. Martha screwed up her nose at him, wondering when Rose would get sick of it.

"If you want to get back home, we can help."

_God she's got the patience of… the Doctor._

"Couldn't have said it better myself." The Doctor said suddenly feeling a wave of pride wash through him because he knew what most others would have done and he knew it was exactly what Martha was thinking at that moment. They would have been annoyed at the alien's unhelpfulness and probably would have given up by now. But not his Rose, never. She'd always try to do what was best for them, just like he would.

"Why would I leave this place? A world of industry, of workforce and warfare. I could turn it to such purpose."

"How would you do that?" Her voice wavered, a mix of fear and anger glinting in her eyes as her breathing became unsteady.

"I would migrate to the Holy Monarch."

"You mean Queen Victoria?" Her mouth dropped open just slightly in horror before she quickly composed herself.

"With one bite, I would pass into her blood. And then it begins. The Empire of the Wolf! So many questions." He suddenly lunged forward and made everyone, including Rose and Martha, jump back and gasp, the Doctor, of course, unaffected.

"Look! Inside your eyes! You've seen it too!" Martha's eyebrows rose, now he was relating to her? What did we even mean? She looked up and saw the Doctor watching on with intensity, as he had never seen this either.

"Seen what?" She was clearly still reeling from the shock. Martha was glad she had asked because she was dying to know and it looked like the Doctor was too.

"The Wolf! There is something of the Wolf about you!" The effect was immediate in both Rose and the Doctor. The Doctor stiffened and stood even straighter, eyes widening a fraction at the same time as his eyebrows furrowed. He mouthed two words she didn't recognize and barely whispered a sentence that made absolutely no snese to her.

"But that was gone… it was all gone." She didn't ask questions, by the look on his face as he studied Rose closely she wouldn't get an answer even if she did.

For a miniscule second Rose's breathing stopped and a spark of recognition shone within before she tried to convince the animal otherwise.

"I don't know what you mean." Her voice shook with the lie and Martha wanted to know what they were hiding.

"You burnt like the sun, but all I require is the moon." At his words an image flashed through her mind. _Rose standing like a goddess surrounded by the sun at the space station, the Doctor collapsed beside her as she defeated the Daleks single handedly._

They were back in the room with the Doctor with no warning, one of the bald men by the window, chanting in another language. The room was in chaos.

"What is the meaning of this?" The Queen asked shrilly, eyes shooting from one person to another.

The uniformed man pointed a gun at the tenant, shouting. "Explain yourself, Sir Robert!"

"What's happening-" The Queen asked again, her voice rising to an undignified shout,

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty, they've got my wife." Martha scoffed disgustedly at the man, understanding in some way but still unbelieving he had set up the Queen.

The Doctor walked to the chanting man, eyes ablaze with anger and fear, wide and intimidating as his Scottish accent disappeared. "Rose! Where's Rose? Where is she?"

He was ignored as he ran from the room.

"Sir Robert, come on," he yelled at the man, no less angry.

"I was so scared." Martha looked up at the Doctor only to find his gaze fixed on the scene that didn't stop playing, eyes glazed over as he remembered. "That was the first time her life was in danger when I had no idea where she was… And I was so scared. Martha you don't know what it was like, I never told her how bad it was. I always know where my companions are, especially when not everything is safe… especially Rose. But then… I didn't and I couldn't do anything because that bastard wouldn't talk to me. I had to let him lead me there and I hated it. Her life was in danger and I had to follow someone else, specifically the someone that put her there in the first place…" his voice suddenly went ice cold and his eyes cut out any emotion that was left. "And I wanted to kill him – just for a second."

The Doctor kicked down the door to the cellar, revealing Rose on the other side, having somehow broken the bonds of herself and her companions.

"Where the hell have you been?" She shouted, not angry at him but working on the adrenaline she had obviously just worked up.

The Doctor's eyes ran over her in a second flat, taking stock and seeing that she was okay, both Doctors let out a tiny sigh of relief before the incorporeal Time Lord spun to look at the werewolf that was now breaking free of its cage.

"Oh, that's beautiful." He spoke in awe as a smile crossed his lips for the first time since he realized something was wrong.

Martha jeered at him, only half serious. "You would think that wouldn't you?"

"Always," her Doctor responded, already in much higher spirits than a minute ago. She made sure of dwell on anything he was telling her through these memories, knowing he wouldn't want her to bring it up again.

As the wolf began to bend and break the bars and throw the cage off the household staff all clamored to get out of the room. The Doctor seemed to be snapped back to attention, realizing they were far from safety.

"Out! Out! Out! Out! Out! Out! Out! Out! Out! Out!" He ushered to everyone urgently.

"Come on." Rose spoke to one of them, putting her hand on their back and leading them quickly out the door.

They were transported into a kitchen, the Doctor using his sonic screwdriver to relieve Rose of her handcuffs.

He now spoke perhaps faster than Martha had ever heard as people rushed past them with guns, him being to involved with Rose to make his usual reaction to the weaponry. "It could be any form of light modulated species triggered by specific wavelengths. Did it say what it wanted?"

"The Queen, the Crown, the throne, you name it." Rose answered in the same tone.

There was a thumping sound from the direction of the cellar and they both looked up, the Doctor venturing out into the corridor to investigate. The wolf stood at the other end of the corridor, the Doctor and the animal staring each other down until its feral growl bolted the Doctor into action and he ran back into the room. He grabbed Rose's hand without thought and pulled her behind the line of men with guns poised and ready, still not relinquishing his hold on her and holding her close to his side in a sort of wary protection.

"Fire!" Martha could see Rose flinch away from the bangs of the guns, moving back into the Doctor chest and she saw as he squeezed her hand in comfort.

"Fire!" Rose flinched yet again.

There it was again, the very reason why he loved her so much. This thing had tried to kill her and everyone in the house yet she still shuddered at its death or injury. It wasn't just a reaction to the gunfire like he knew Martha would assume, that he knew because he had seen her around it before and if it wasn't directed at anyone she wasn't bothered, the sound only giving her a headache afterwards. Most of his companions didn't understand why he was incredibly, one hundred percent, against guns and weaponry but he thought, for the first time, he had finally found someone who thought the same. And when she had first heard about his aversion he knew he was right as she nodded and hugged him, as if thanking him.

He hardly even noticed as the scene changed, still deep in his own thoughts.

Queen Victoria and Sir Robert were running, followed by the Doctor, Rose standing, and staring in horror at something that Martha could only guess at. The Doctor, Sir Robert and Queen Victoria ran into a library but Rose stopped once again outside the door and watched as Captain Reynolds shot at the werewolf as it bounds down the corridor towards him, failing to incapacitate it. It pounced upon him and ripped him apart as he screamed. Martha flinched and put a hand over her mouth in disgust as Rose froze in horror and didn't move.

"Rose!" The other Doctor shouted in a panic as he realized she was not beside him, rushing out the door and grabbing her closely around the waist and pulling her into the room just in time to slam the door shut.

It fast forwarded for barely a second and then continued. "What is it? Why can't it get in?" The Doctor asked, making Martha sigh in relief.

"I'll tell you what, though-" Rose began, looking only at the Doctor as a smile crept onto her face, her arms in front of her.

"What?" The Doctor asked, thinking it was serious.

"Werewolf." She stated still in disbelief, watching as his face split into a wide, beaming grin.

"I know." He responded gleefully.

Rose laughed breathlessly and they threw their arms around each other, squeezing tightly Martha knew to ensure the physical presence of each other. They may have been joking as they always did but somewhere inside she could bet they only used that as an excuse to be in each others arms again, for comfort if nothing else.

"You all right?" The Doctor asked her sincerely, pulling back but keeping his grasp on her waist firmly and gently at the same time.

"I'm okay, yeah." She assured him, hands patting and lightly stroking his shoulders once or twice before releasing him.

Queen Victoria stared at them, eyes wide. For the time their display must have been quite inappropriate. _Oh I'd love to see her reaction to everything else they've done. _Martha chuckled out loud at her own thought, shaking her head as the Doctor looked at her questioning.

She had noticed he was being rather quiet and wondered why. Maybe something was coming that he was worried about… or maybe he was just savoring it, seeing _her _again after so long. She wondered how he would be after it was finished, better or worse.

The memory shifted and they were now in a smaller room, people crowded around as The Doctor and Rose stepped forward and knelt before Queen Victoria.

"By the power invested in me by the Church and the State, I dub thee: Sir Doctor of TARDIS."

Martha grinned. "Hey, how come we've never got knighted together before?" She spoke in mock offense.

"Well it's not like I plan this sort of thing?" The Doctor played along with her.

"By the power invested in me by the Church and the State, I dub the: Dame Rose of the Powell Estate."

She tapped Rose on each shoulder with the sword.

"You may stand."

The Doctor and Rose both rose from their places.

"Many thanks, Ma'am."

Rose grinned ecstatically. "Thanks! They're never going to believe this back home." Martha smiled, she was still so young and innocent, just a child. This made her sad as she thought about what was surely to come. The Doctor gulped silently, he had never had a companion quite like her a perfect mix of… everything.

"Your Majesty, you said last night about receiving a message from the great beyond; I think your husband cut that diamond to save your life. He's protecting you even now Ma'am, even from beyond the grave."

"Aw, always the sentimental one you are." Martha elbowed him lightly in the ribs as he smiled down at her.

"That's me… oh wait, you'll love this," he said, pointed to the Queen.

"Indeed. Then you may think on this, also: that I am not amused." The Doctor groaned, unable to keep away the smile while Rose looked jubilant, hissing out a triumphant "yes!"

Martha laughed, unable to believe they had actually got her to say it. She couldn't help but internally think that the Doctor looked so much younger in these times, such joy and happiness only shining through his eyes very rarely in their adventures now.

"Not remotely amused."

Rose made a visible effort to wipe the smirk off her face, mostly unsuccessful.

"And henceforth... I banish you." The Doctor and Rose look stunned, along with Martha.

"What again? How many Queen's have you been banished by?"

"To be fair, I haven't been by Queen Elizabeth yet so that's technically not my fault… yet."

"I'm sorry..?" The Doctor asked, stunned.

"I rewarded you, Sir Doctor. And now you are exiled from this empire, never to return. I don't know what you are, the two of you, or where you're from, but I know that you consort with stars and magic and think it fun. But your world is steeped in terror and blasphemy and death and I will not allow it! You will leave this shores and you will reflect, I hope, on how you managed to stray so far from all that is good. And how much longer you will survive this terrible life." She stepped away from them. "Now leave my world. And never return."

Rose and the Doctor were then walking together down a road in the middle of a field, the TARDIS standing a few meters away.

"You know, the funny thing is, Queen Victoria did actually suffer a mutation of the blood! It's historical record haemophiliac. It used to be called the Royal Disease! But it's always been a mystery because she didn't inherit it. Her mum didn't have it her dad didn't have it, it came from nowhere!" The Doctor ranted, hardly taking a breath as he insinuated things Martha didn't even want to think about.

"What, and you're saying that's a wolf bite?"

"Well, maybe Haemophilia is just a Victorian euphemism."

"For werewolf?" Rose looked as if she thought he was having her on.

"Could be!" The Doctor responded, completely serious.

"Queen Victoria's a werewolf?"

"Could be! And, her children had the Royal Disease. Maybe she gave them a quick nip."

"So, the Royal Family are werewolves?" Martha finally let loose a quick laugh.

"Are you serious?" Martha asked the identical man. He just shrugged with a silly smile, some thing else just beneath the surface, like he was thinking extremely hard about something extremely important.

"Well, maybe not yet. I mean, a single wolf cell could take... a hundred years to mature. Might be ready by oooh, early 21st century?"

"Nah! That's just ridiculous! Mind you, Princess Anne." Rose said, playing along with the story.

"I'll say no more."

Rose laughed under her breath as she continued, touching the Doctor's arm to draw his attention, like she really needed to. "And if you think about it... They're very private. They plan everything in advance. They - they could schedule themselves around the moon, we'd never know."

The Doctor sniggered as they reached the TARDIS and he opened the door. They bundled in at once.

"They like hunting! They love blood sports!" Her voice rose as they both began laughing more and more.

The TARDIS began to dematerialize and as the scene faded Martha still heard them joking together hysterically imitating the howl of a wolf.

"Oh my God, they're werewolves!"

**A/N Okay so I know I said I would start doing chapters that would be more than one episode but I ended up adding way more of this episode than I thought I would and I keep finding little bits of scenes that I just can't find the will to leave out because they are such perfect Doctor/Rose moments and I have a feeling the next might be the same because I absolutely am obsessed with "School Reunion". I hope this is okay and doesn't drag too much; it's not one of my favourite episodes.**

**Please review, I love the response I'm getting so far and would absolutely love it to continue.**

**Thanks,  
Metal.**


	7. School Reunion

**A/N This has another bit that wasn't actually in the episode but I added to make the scene more Doctor/Rose-ish. Hope you all like it anyway. Enjoy and happy reading! This chapter is also un-checked so I hope its all okay and readable.**

**Disclaimer: I own no rights to Doctor Who, though it's probably one of my top ten dreams… how nerdy is that? **

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Chapter 7: School Reunion

"A cafeteria?" Martha asked in confusion and shock, of all the places she had been with the Doctor she was sure that they had never set foot inside a cafeteria… or a school for that matter. "Seriously?"

"What's wrong with that?" He asked, not really paying her that much attention.

"Nothing I suppose. So what's going on then?"

"Mickey called us thinking the school was suspicious. I ended up as a physics teacher and Rose… well, see for yourself." He grinned cheekily while pointing to where the food was.

It was obviously lunchtime, and the dinner ladies spooned food onto people's plates, the Doctor moving along the line with his tray. She recognized Rose as one of the dinner ladies and couldn't suppress her giggle at the glare she sent the Doctor as he walked by, splashing the food onto his plate with more force than was necessary.

Some time later the scene showed the Doctor sitting at a table in the middle of the room, spearing a chip on his fork and staring at it distastefully. Rose came over with a dishcloth to wipe his table down, using it as an excuse to talk to him.

"Two days." Rose said resentfully, not happy about her role in the situation.

"Sorry, could you, just there's a bit of gravy." Martha rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"Oh, you're just asking for it mate." She muttered, not sure if the Doctor heard her.

"I know," he said joyfully beside her. _Obviously he did._

Rose wiped the table where he was pointing and looked at him sharply, obviously not amused.

"No, no, just there." He pointed again, enjoying the situation all too much in both of the girls opinions.

"Two days, we've been here." She said again, deciding not to comment on his annoying attitude.

"Blame your boyfriend, he's the one who put us onto this. And he was right. Boy in class this morning, got a knowledge way beyond planet Earth." It was the first time Martha had heard Mickey being referred to as Rose's boyfriend and she had a very hard time believing it. Maybe in the first few memories but now… not a chance, she thought as she watched the interaction.

"You eating those chips?" She picked up one without asking his permission and bit into it, chewing with a blissful look on her face.

"Yeah, they're a bit... different." He screwed up his face.

"Different how?" Martha asked him.

"Ah, they were coated in an alien race's natural oil." Martha almost gagged at the explanation as Rose shoved the rest into her mouth.

"I think they're gorgeous. Wish I had school dinners like this."

She sat down beside him, scooting the chair closer to his side.

"It's very well behaved, this place." The dark girl had already thought the same while looking around at all the kids, sitting quietly and eating their meals.

"Mm." Martha really wished she could yell at the girl to spit the chip out, the very thought of it creeping her out and making her shiver in disgust.

"I thought there'd be happy-slapping hoodies. Happy-slapping hoodies with ASBOs. Happy-slapping hoodies with ASBOs and ringtones."

"See," the Doctor directed at Martha. "Don't tell me I don't fit in." The two Doctor's spoke together making a strange echoing effect. They both looked very impressed with themselves and Martha just shook her head, reminiscent of the way Rose was at the same time.

A dinner lady approached their table and gazed sternly down at them.

"You are not permitted to leave your station during a sitting."

Rose stood up and looked accusingly at the Doctor. "I was just talking to this teacher-" "Hello," the Doctor interrupted, "-he doesn't like the chips."

The dinner lady looked abruptly affronted. "The menu has been specifically designed by the headmaster to improve concentration and performance. Now, get back to work."

She left and Rose walked away from the table, twirling around once as she spoke to the Doctor.

"See? This is me. The dinner lady." Martha couldn't help but think that both Doctors look like they enjoyed that twirl a little too much. She saw some student watching them both, no doubt ready to start some gossip about the two of them, and Martha doubted whatever they came up with would be that much of a stretch.

"I'll have the crumble." The Doctor called out after her, sending her a teasing grin.

"I'm so gonna kill you." But the laughter in her voice told all present that it was an empty threat.

She returned to her station, the Doctor grinning manically the whole way.

"I'm so surprised she put up with you," Martha said while the scene altered.

"Oh, you know you love it." He responded playfully, in good spirits, at least for now.

They came into a scene just as a man Martha presumed to be the headmaster left the room that only teachers occupied. A red-headed woman looked around the room and Martha's eyes found the Doctor, looking at the woman as though he'd just seen a ghost, very slowly a smile coming over him the longer he stared.

The woman caught his eye and approached him confidently.

"Hello." She said enthusiastically.

"Oh, I should think so!" Even now the Doctor couldn't help the smile when he saw her, remembering all their good times together. His happiness diminished slightly when he thought back on Rose's reaction. He knew Martha wanted him to explain but didn't bother, knowing it wouldn't be much longer until the situation explained itself.

"And, you are?"

Seemingly unable to take his eyes off her the Doctor snapped out of his daze. "Hm? Uh, Smith. John Smith." _How original, _Martha thought, wondering if he ever used anything new.

"John Smith? I used to have a friend who sometimes went by that name." _Oh, so she used to know him, _she realized quickly, wondering where Rose was. As thoughts of the girl entered her mind she laughed internally, _this should be entertaining._

"Well, it's a very common name!" He was quick to respond, apparently not wanting her to know it was him.

A look of reminiscing came over the woman's face as she shrugged while she spoke, wrapping her arms around herself. "He was a very uncommon man." _You can say that again. _That was definitely one way to describe the Doctor.

She held out her hand to him in a friendly way.

"Nice to meet you." She said sincerely.

"Nice to meet you! Yes! Very nice! More than nice, brilliant!

"Bit over enthusiastic don't you think?" Martha asked him rhetorically, wondering how the woman didn't notices something was off. First the name plus the way he was acting.

"Um... so, um, have you worked here long?"

"No! Um, it's only my second day."

"Oh, you're new, then? So, what do you think of the school? I mean, this new curriculum?"

The Doctor's eyes were still glued to her as his smile widened at her sentence.

"So many children getting ill, doesn't that strike you as odd?"

The Doctor grinned still wider. "You don't sound like someone just doing a profile."

"Well, no harm in a little investigation while I'm here." She said slyly, smiling secretively up at him before starting to walk away.

"No. Good for you. Oh good for you Sarah-Jane Smith." _Wait Sarah-Jane… Sarah-Jane Smith? _Martha thought to herself, realizing where she knew the name from. She was a reporter… No wonder it was so easy for her to be there… probably not for the same reason she had told everyone else though.

Without further ado they stood in a hallway, looking into a small room as Sarah-Jane backed away from the TARDIS, face looking beyond shocked as she walked out into the hallway, door closing in front of her. The Doctor stood behind her with a serious look on his face, one hand in his pocket as she turned to see him.

"Hello, Sarah Jane." His voice was deeper now, much more sober.

"It's you. Oh... Doctor." She spoke in a whisper, disbelieving as she looked at the man in front of her.

Martha's head filled with the possibilities of what had happened with them in the past, wanting Rose back just to see her reaction to everything.

"Oh, my God, it's you, it's... it's... you've regenerated." A smile gently spread across her face as she started getting over the shock, obviously it had been a along time since they had seen each other.

"Half a dozen times since we last met."

"You look... incredible."

"So do you."

"I got old. What're you doing here?"

"Well... UFO sightings, school gets record results - I couldn't resist. What about you?"

"Same." They laughed together but all too quickly the joy dropped from Sarah's face and tears filled her eyes as she spoke again. "I thought you'd died. I waited for you and you didn't come back, and I thought you must've died."

The Doctor felt the same shame he felt back then well up in him. He knew his own reasons and he still believed them, in most cases, but he hated that he had hurt her so much. He didn't wish he could take it back, only that he had said goodbye properly to her… he never seemed to be able to say the proper goodbye… never. He fought back tears as memories came rushing back, of leaving Sarah-Jane behind but mostly of that day on the beach, being the Time Lord who ran out of time.

He breathed deeply to get himself back under control and went back to watching, noticing he had missed some.

They were now skidding down another hallway and almost ran right into Rose who was running in the same direction from a converging corridor.

_Here we go, _Martha thought, a tiny smirk crossing her face.

"Did you hear that?" Rose asked in a breathless, slightly panicked voice. Her eyes flickered from the Doctor's meeting Sarah's for the first time and some of the adrenaline drifting away as she narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

"Who's she?" Her voice was sharp and Martha laughed out loud at the uncomfortable look on the Doctor's face.

"Rose, Sarah Jane! Sarah Jane, Rose." He explained quickly, probably attempting to escape the inevitable.

Rose looked rather unpleasantly surprised as they shook hands in an unwilling sort of way.

Sarah spoke with an extremely fake smile painted onto her lips. "Hi. Nice to meet you." She turned to the Doctor. "You can tell you're getting older, your assistants are getting younger." She said condescendingly.

Rose's face was outraged as she looked to be fighting the urge to step forward and sneer at the woman. "I'm not his assistant."

The Doctor scratched his ear uncomfortably, completely hopeless in the situation. "Right, how are you going to get out of this one?" Martha asked in good sport, laughing at his expression that seemed almost as horrified as the one in the memory.

"I didn't." He murmured, grimacing in remembrance of his and Rose's rather painful conversation.

"No? I get you, tiger." The Doctor sped off, not allowing Rose to retort as they followed him. They found Mickey in one of the class rooms, surrounded by a load of vacuum-packed rats.

Martha snorted with laughter at the realization that the scream was him, the Doctor joining her good humor for a second. "Sorry! Sorry, it was only me. You told me to investigate, so I- I started looking through some of these cupboards and all of these fell out of them."

The Doctor bent down and picked a few up to examine them closely. "Oh, my God, they're rats. Dozens of rats. Vacuum packed rats." Rose spoke in a disgusted tone, of course, who liked to find a whole mountain of yellow rats in a school.

The Doctor mocked Mickey in a round of verbal sparring the younger boy was sure to lose before Rose interrupted them, an incredulous look on her face. "Hello, can we focus? Does anyone notice anything strange about this? Rats in school?"

Sarah –Jane spoke up, no sign of the fake smile on her face any more. "Well, obviously they use them in Biology lessons. They dissect them. Or maybe you haven't reached that bit yet. How old are you?"

"Ouch," Martha muttered, enjoying the scene greatly and wondering what would ever happen if she was in such a situation.

The Doctor and Mickey looked shiftily between them, warily wondering whether they should step in.

"Excuse me, no one dissects rats in school anymore. They haven't done that for years. Where are you from, the dark ages?" Martha raised her eyebrows. _Feisty, _she rather liked this new side of Rose; she definitely wasn't a push over.

The Doctor quickly intercepted the conversation before it got any further out of control, both looking as though they were willing to resort to physical violence at any minute. "Anyway, moving on."

Sarah Jane obviously badly wanted to make a cutting retort but settled for throwing Rose the dirtiest of looks, which was returned full force.

"Everything started when Mr. Finch arrived. We should go and check his office." The Doctor concluded, moving from the room.

He chucked the rat he was holding back to Mickey, who dropped it as they followed the Doctor out and down the corridor.

Rose spoke once more to Sarah Jane through gritted teeth, obviously trying to at least keep the appearance of being civil. "I don't mean to be rude or anything, but who exactly are you?"

"Sarah Jane Smith. I used to travel with the Doctor." She said proudly, obviously trying to compete with the blonde.

Martha sucked I a breath thinking of what a bad idea that was. She didn't know about the other woman or how long she travelled with the Doctor but she did know if she trying something like that with Rose, the blonde Londoner was sure to win.

"Oh!" Rose smiled slightly, looking smug. "Well, he's never mentioned you." She said casually.

The Doctor was quick to jump in and save himself, eye's flying nervously between the two as his chocolaty orbs begged Rose to just agree with him, though for once he was not listened to.

"Oh, I must've done. Sarah Jane. Mention her all the time." He scratched the end of his nose.

Rose pretended to think about it, probably wanting to mess with the Doctor just as much as she did the other woman. "Hold on... sorry, never."

Sarah looked shocked and annoyed, not sure whether to believe the girl or not. "What, not even once? He didn't mention me once?"

They both walked off as Rose sped up, Sarah Jane following looking as if she was going to ask more questions that the Doctor dreaded as he looked on circumspectly.

Mickey slapped a hand onto the Doctor's shoulder with a grin. 'Ho ho, Mate! The missus and the ex. Welcome to every man's worst nightmare." Martha laughed, oh she definitely liked him. She couldn't have put it better herself.

Suddenly the Doctor spoke quietly, reverently. "I already knew I was in trouble," he grinned sadly. "She never walked ahead of me like that, ever." And as far as she could tell it was the truth. I all she had been shown she had never seen Rose voluntarily leave the Doctor's side for no reason. _Oh he is in trouble… about time to. _

The Doctor, Sarah Jane, Rose and Mickey were then in a chip shop. The Doctor and Sarah Jane sitting at a table by the window some ways away, chatting and laughing over a robot dog, too far away to hear. Mickey and Rose stood by the counter.

The Doctor straightened attentively, always happy when something came up that he had never seen nor heard before, curious and always willing to learn more about Rose. "You see, what's impressive is that it's been nearly an hour since we met her and I still haven't said 'I told you so'." The Doctor frowned, he didn't like the turn the conversation was taking, it being obvious what they were discussing.

Rose seemed to have to wrench her eyes away from the pair she had been watching intently, a cluster of emotions emanating from her. "I'm not listening to this." She said in denial. Martha sighed in irritation, unable to believe the Doctor hadn't realized what sort of an affect the whole situation was having on Rose.

"Although, I have prepared a little 'I was right' dance that I can show you later." They both wished that Mickey would shut up, his words only hurting Rose more. He definitely wasn't acting like a boyfriend, or a friend, or even a civil acquaintance for that matter.

He sniggered as the shopkeeper held her hand out to Rose.

"Two quid, love." Rose gave her the money and took the chips, eating immediately.

"All this time you've been giving it, 'he's different!' when the truth is, he's just like any other bloke." The Doctor lowered his eyes, having no idea she defended him so much to Mickey. He felt awful and felt a massive urge to go over and tell his past self to go talk to the perfect little human they both adored right that instant… and he would, if it would do anything.

They sat down at a table away from the Doctor and Sarah Jane.

"You don't know what you're talking about," Rose said, still quick to defend the Time Lord.

"Yes he does." The Doctor whispered to the ground, knowing Martha almost definitely heard him but not caring. He hated knowing that at any time he had hurt Rose, in any way.

"Maybe not. But if I were you... I'd go easy on the chips."

"Oi! What was that suppose to mean?" The Doctor jumped in protectively. He felt a very human urge to punch Mickey Smith in the face for saying such a thing; Rose had always been perfect, Sarah-Jane or no. He had no right to say such a thing. He watched sadly as Rose hesitated in continuing to eat, a look of self-doubt crossed her eyes that he hadn't seen since she had started travelling with him. He growled under his breath, feeling Martha's hand on his arm urging him to relax.

The scene changed to make them now pay attention to the Doctor's and Sarah's conversation, only staying with them for a sort amount of time, just long enough to get the point across.

"You know what the most difficult thing was? Coping with what happens next, and with what doesn't happen next. You took me to the furthest reaches of the galaxy, you showed me supernovas, intergalactic battles and then you just dropped me back on Earth. How could anything compare to that?" Sarah spoke sadly, watching him intensely for his reaction.

The Time Lord furrowed his brow in confusion. "All those things you saw; do you want me to apologize for that?"

"No, but we get a taste of that splendor and then we have to go back."

The Doctor just smiled at her. "But look at you, you're investigating. You found that school, you're doing what we always did."

"You could've come back." Sarah Jane pushed, not understanding.

"I couldn't." his voice had dropped a few tones, both in volume and pitch and Martha knew he was hurting.

"Why not?" Sarah whispered, still not understanding.

The Doctor did not answer and Sarah Jane shook her head as the Doctor switched his sonic screwdriver back on and returned to repairing K9 without answering her.

Martha saw then, it wasn't just her. Even his old companions didn't understand him as much as Rose did. They all pushed him in the same way, in the wrong way, and never knew when to stop. They ended up hurting him, unintentionally of course, but doing it all the same.

As Martha came to her realization they were outside, the Doctor left the chip shop followed by Rose, Martha took note that Sarah and Mickey were a couple of meters away but still within hearing distance.

She saw the Doctor brace himself just slightly and knew this would be the conversation she had been waiting for and obviously, the one he had been dreading.

"How many of us have there been, travelling with you?" Rose demanded, evidently wanting him to stop and talk to her properly.

"Does it matter?" the Doctor retorted pointlessly, turning to face her, frustration written in every facet of his face.

When she spoke next her voice trembled, dangerously close to tears. "Yeah, it does, if I'm just the latest in a long line." The real Doctor swallowed, knowing exactly how the conversation would go and wishing he could change it.

The Doctor stopped and looked hurt. "As opposed to what?" he asked, a hint of desperate breaking through his barriers.

He stared at her, looking angry and hurt and seeing his expression mirrored back at him and hating himself for it.

"I thought you and me were," she stopped and shook her head, not willing to finish the unavoidable ending to that sentence. "But I obviously got it wrong. I've been to the year five billion, right, but this... now this is really seeing the future. You just leave us behind. Is that what you're going to do to me?"

He burst out with his answer abruptly, eyes totally sincere and voice firm with belief. "No. Not to you."

Martha's breath caught in her throat and her wondered if this would finally be it, the thing that finally threw them into action and awareness. It had to pretty close for him to be saying things like that… it was the most open she had ever seen him.

"But Sarah Jane." Her voice once again quivered and broke gently as she spoke, getting more upset. "You were that close to her once, and now... you never even mention her. Why not?"

"I don't age." He responded quickly, regret and fear burned in his eyes as he looked directly at her, both getting captured in each other's eyes. "I regenerate. But humans decay. You wither and you die." Martha found her breathing stopping completely at what he said next, completely unbelieving that he had got so close and yet didn't finish. "Imagine watching that happen to someone who you-"

They stared at each other and Martha heard a tiny sniff coming from the Doctor, but didn't turn to look at him, choosing to leave him alone knowing this was a little too close to home. She swore that she heard a whisper of a sigh escape him, carrying the last word of the sentence with it but let it slip from her mind, it really wasn't her business.

"What, Doctor?" Rose spoke encouragingly, her eyes begging him to continue, though everyone knew that he wouldn't.

The Doctor stared at her intensely, willing her to understand, his whole body beginning to shake almost unnoticeably as the effort it took to have the conversation with Rose took its toll. "You can spend the rest of your life with me."

Rose looked up at him, eyes shining with unshed tears that Martha knew were probably appearing in her own as the conversation got more and more intense. She wished they would just admit it and be happy, while they still could. But it didn't look like that would happen. She wondered how much more time they had together.

She asked the Doctor on the off chance he would actually tell her, the only answer she received was "not long enough."

She nodded though and stayed silent, hearing the tremor in his voice.

"But I can't spend the rest of mine with you," he continued. "I have to live on. Alone. That's the curse of the Time Lords."

At his last words the scene abruptly shifted, it seemed like the TARDIS could tell which scenes were especially difficult for the Doctor and passed them as quickly as possible. Only Martha was ignorant of the fact that soon that would be impossible.

Sarah Jane was crouched beneath a computer desk and trying to switch on the sonic screwdriver. She climbed out and hit the keyboard, staring at the sonic screwdriver. Rose sat with her legs crossed on one of the chairs.

"It's not working!" Sarah exclaimed in frustration.

Rose stood and moved to her, snatching the screwdriver of her and ducking beneath the desk. "Give it to me."

"Used to work first time in my day." Sarah spoke, trying to justify her inability to work the device.

"Well, things were a lot simpler back then." Rose turned the sonic screwdriver and it worked straight away as she held it to the back of the computer.

Sarah huffed in annoyance and spoke civilly to the girl. "Rose, can I give you a bit of advice?"

Rose straightened back up and muttered, "I've got a feeling you're about to."

The Doctor watched on, fascinated by the interaction and wondering how this conversation went from them at each others throats to the hysterical laughter he remembered walking in on… he wasn't sure which he preferred, but at least now he would know what they were laughing about.

"I know how intense a relationship with the Doctor can be, and I don't want you to feel I'm intruding-" She was cut off quickly by a defensive Rose.

"I don't feel threatened by you if that's what you mean."

"Right. Good. Because, I'm not interested in picking up where we left off." Martha snorted, not believing her.

Rose looked at her in disbelief and raised her eyebrows at the older woman. "No? With the big sad eyes and the robot dog? What else were you doing last night?"

"I was just saying how hard it was adjusting to life back on Earth."

Rose stood and stepped away from her and the computer. "The thing is, when you two met they'd only just got rid of rationing. No wonder all that space stuff was a bit too much for ya." The conversation took a nasty turn back to familiar territory and Martha couldn't stop the laugh at how much Rose was reacting to her, especially after just assuring the other woman she wasn't intimidated by her presence.

Sarah walked up to her indignantly. "I had no problem with space stuff. I saw things you wouldn't believe."

_Haven't we all, _Martha thought, not thinking that was something to brag about when the person you were talking to had already been traveling with the Doctor.

When she saw the look on the Doctor's face she knew he was thinking the same thing.

Rose's voice was suddenly cold. "Try me."

"Mummies."

"I've met ghosts."

"Weeell, they weren't really ghosts _or _mummies, at least not in the way one would expect." The Doctor absentmindedly corrected. Martha just shook her head at him as the other two continued their back and forth.

"Robots. Lots of robots."

"Slitheen. In Downing Street."

"Daleks!"

"Oh, wrong choice," Martha commentated thinking about Rose's meetings with the evil beings.

Rose scoffed at that. "Met the Emperor." _And defeated him, _both observers thought, even now Rose was being modest, it was almost funny to think of Sarah Jane's reaction if she really knew all that Rose had done.

"Anti-Matter monsters."

"Gas masked zombies."

"Real living dinosaurs!"

"Real living werewolf!"

"THE Loch Ness Monster!" Sarah's voice reached a shrill pitch as Rose stopped and looked at her disbelievingly.

" Seriously?" Martha and the Doctor laughed as both of them visibly realized how petty they were being as Sarah buried her head in her hands and shook her head while Rose laughed slightly and smiled at her.

"Listen to us. It's like me and my mate Shireen. The only time we fell out was over a man, and we're arguing over the Doctor." Sarah Jane relaxed against a desk and Rose looked at her contemplatively for a moment.

"With you, did he do that thing where he'd explain something at like, ninety-miles-per-hour, and you'd go, "what?" and he'd look at you like you'd just dribbled on your shirt?" Martha laughed loudly at that as Sarah responded "all the time" and they all laughed together, the Doctor letting out an indignant "OI!" and looking like he was going to try and convince Martha they were wrong, before staring at her and realizing it wouldn't be worth it; he was done for.

"Does he still stroke bits of the TARDIS?"

"Yeah! Yeah! He does! I'm like, "do you two want to be alone?" Both Martha and the Doctor snorted at the fact she forgot to mention that she had also got into the habit.

The Doctor raised a hand to his mouth and barked out a fake cough. "Hypocrite."

Martha smirked at him, elated at seeing him so happy again and able to concentrate on the good things.

They were still laughing madly when the Doctor waltzed into the room.

"How's it going?"

"Oh, if I'd have known." The Doctor threatened to Martha pointlessly, looking like he was coming up for thing to do for pay back.

His face sobered slightly when he stopped thinking of the things he could do for payback when he remembered once again that he'd never get the chance. He shook his mind free of those thoughts and tried to only concentrate on the here and now… or here and then he supposed.

The sight of him only seemed to make them laugh even harder.

The Doctor continued obliviously. "What? Listen, I need to find out what's programmed inside these."

They took no notice of him and fall into each other laughing hysterically, Rose pointing the sonic screwdriver at him comically.

Genuinely confused and wanting to know what had gotten into then the Doctor's voice rose in pitch. "What? Stop it!"

With that they were fast forwarded so that now the headmaster man stood beside them, speaking directly to the Doctor, the mood of the room now considerable more serious.

The threatening man approached them slowly, eyes trained on the Doctor as he advanced. "Think of it, Doctor, with the Paradigm solved, reality becomes clay in our hands. We can shape the universe and improve it."

"Oh yeah? The whole of creation with the face of Mr. Finch. Call me old fashioned, but I like things as they are.

She wasn't entirely sure what was going on but could guess by the way they were speaking and Martha felt a sudden doubt whether the Doctor would be able to stand up against this and not be tempted.

"You act like such a radical, and yet all you want to do is preserve the old order. Think of the changes that could be made if this power was used for good."

The Doctor looked on skeptically. "What, by someone like you?"

"No." The man tilted his head at the Doctor meaningfully. "Someone like you."

The Doctor was silent, clearly that was not the answer he was expecting.

"The Paradigm gives us power, but you could give us wisdom. Become a God. At my side. Imagine what you could do - think of the civilizations you could save. Perganon, Assinta, your own people, Doctor. Standing tall. The Time Lords... reborn."

Martha watched on, amazed but also somehow not as the Doctor stayed silent and hesitated, staring at the man intensely.

"I was so close… just that one time." The Doctor whispered to Martha, his voice cracking in momentary weakness. "_So _close."

Suddenly Sarah spoke up loudly, urgently. "Doctor, don't listen to him."

The man turned to Sarah and Rose and stared at them intently, eyes shifting between them before landing and staying on Rose. "And you could be with him throughout eternity. Young... fresh... never wither, never age... never die. Their lives are so fleeting. So many goodbyes. How lonely you must be, Doctor. Join us." His attention shifted back to the Time Lord.

The Doctor had a faraway look in his eyes, visibly so terribly tempted. He looked up and his eyes locked onto Rose's.

"I thought about it… I thought if we could really have forever…" He looked down in shame that he ever considered such a thing. Martha grasped his arm and squeezed, trying to give him whatever amount of comfort she could provide. She understood what a huge choice this would have been for him, how hard it must have been to say no and give away everything he had ever wanted.

"I could save everyone," his eyes didn't wavered from Rose's for a second and Sarah looked between them, trying to figure out exactly what was passing between them as Rose's eyes became glassy with tears and they looked at each other with the same longing gaze.

"Yes." The man's smile widened, like he knew he had the Doctor exactly were he wanted him.

The Doctor's voice dropped even further into a whisper. "I could stop the war."

Sarah watched as he got more and more lost and the look on her face telling them she was wondering why Rose was not saying anything, speaking up quickly before they lost him completely. "No. The universe has to move forward. Pain and loss, they define us as much as happiness or love."

Martha knew that the only reason Sarah Jane was the one to speak up and not Rose was because both Rose and the Doctor had so much to gain from it. Just this once it seemed like they were both tempted to be selfish, to make it so that, as the Doctor said, they could have their forever.

"Whether it's a world, or a relationship... everything has its time. And everything ends." Sarah continued, eyes frantically flicking fro face to face.

The Doctor stared for a few more seconds, eyes shutting off at Sarah Jane's words as his resolve was strengthened again. He grit his teeth, pulled his eyes forcefully from Rose's gaze and picked up a chair, hurling it through the screen displaying the code, which smashed on impact.

Martha watched in relief and sadness as Rose closed her eyes in deep pain before breathing in and opening them again, gaining back her composure, not showing any disappointment or anger over the Doctor's choice but a sense of loss in her eyes that wasn't there before.

"Out!" The Doctor shouted, avoiding Rose's eyes as he passed.

As the memory changed Martha turned to the visibly distraught Doctor and asked a question that the scene brought up, one she needed to be answered.

"If you had that chance again… would you do it?" She asked keeping any accusation out of her voice, letting him know she would never judge him for either answer.

He ran a shaky hand through his already messed up hair and sighed. He looked down at her and she saw the answer in his eyes. Even though out loud he spoke out a quiet and broken "I don't know," she knew that given the choice, while he might resist again, the choice would be infinitely more difficult for him to make and the reverse choice would be close to impossible for him to resist.

Neither dwelled on his answer as they were transported into the TARDIS.

"You've redecorated!" Sarah stated happily looking around the previously familiar ship.

"Do you like it?" The Doctor asked.

She kept looking, fascinated. "Oh, I, I do. Yeah. I preferred it as it was, but uh... yeah. It'll do."

"I love it." Rose stated grinning at them both as she leant on the rather unnecessary metal barrier.

"Hey you," Sarah directed at her kindly. "What's forty seven times three hundred and sixty nine?"

"No idea. It's gone now the oil's faded."

"But you're still clever. More than a match for him." She tilted her head in the direction of the Doctor.

Rose smiled. "You and me both."

Sarah Jane nodded in agreement. Rose looked to the Doctor who was fiddling with the computer, as though prompting him to say something.

"Doctor?"

He looked up at them. "Um, we're about to head off, but you could come with us." He offered, both of them smiling encouragingly at her.

Unexpectedly Sarah shook her head. "I can't do this anymore." She stated softly. "Besides, I've got a much bigger adventure ahead! Time I stopped waiting for you and found a life of my own."

"Can I come?"

Rose looked up at him looking put out and none too happy about the idea, avoiding everyone's eyes.

"No, not with you, I mean... with you." Mickey explained, pointing to the Doctor. "'Cause I'm not the tin dog. And I want to see what's out there."

Rose mouthed 'no' at the Doctor who looked back at her, unsure as what to do.

"Oh, go on, Doctor. Sarah Jane Smith, a Mickey Smith. You need a Smith on board!" the Doctor's eyes flickered to her before landing back on Rose, before avoiding her gaze as he agreed.

"Okay then, I could do with a laugh."

Martha smacked the Doctor on the arm firmly, hoping to make it actually hurt. "What were you thinking?" The Doctor kept looking at the scene with regret, he knew he shouldn't have done it but he didn't like denying people when they asked to come with him. "I know." Was all he said.

Rose rolled her eyes in annoyance while Mickey laughed in delight, stopping quickly upon noticing Rose's lack of response.

"Rose, is that okay?" He asked cautiously, not the only one to catch on to her distaste with the idea.

"No, great. Why not?" Sarcasm dripped from her voice but she didn't say anything else.

_You could cut the tension with a knife, _Martha thought, watching them as they all avoided each other's eyes in silence.

"Well, I'd better go." Sarah ended the silence abruptly, turning to Rose and pulling her to the side while the Doctor turned his attention back to the computer screen.

Rose watched him for a minute before looking back at her doubtfully. "What do I do?" She glanced back over at the Doctor again. "Do I stay with him?"

Sarah Jane nodded at her empathetically. "Yes. Some things are worth getting your heart broken for." She embraced Rose kindly, understanding the other girls struggle just as well as Martha did.

"Find me, if you need to, one day. Find me."

Rose gave her a small smile. The Doctor holds open the doors for Sarah Jane, who steps out of the TARDIS for the last time.

"They didn't know but I could hear them and I was so afraid that Rose would leave when she asked that." The Doctor muttered to Martha, a far off look on his face as he remembered listening in on the conversation.

"But she didn't. Everything was fine yeah? At least for a little while." Martha attempted to comfort him.

Let breathed out roughly and let a devastatingly sad smile out. "Oh Martha, I was such an idiot." The new scene appeared and the Doctor looked at it in trepidation. "You're going to hate me for this."

He didn't give her a chance to respond as he looked intently back at the happenings in front of them and she wondered exactly what he would do it these memories to make him so angry with himself, even the TARDIS' whole atmosphere seemed colder than usual as the memory began, like she herself was still angry it had ever happened.

**A/N Hehe, as you all know, next up is "Girl in the Fireplace" (probably with "Rise of the Cybermen" and "Age of Steel", not sure yet) and you can all guess by that ending how I feel about that episode. I had a major burst of a need to write tonight, hence the two chapters, but please still review both instead of just one as I'd like to hear what you thought of each one. Thank you for reading and I wouldn't be surprised if I get the next chapter up tomorrow some time.**

**Also I was wondering: I have to choices for you on how to end this fic. (There's still a few chapter before this will actually come up but I decided to get your opinions early)**

**I could do one of the following.**

**Finish the memories and just have one chapter after that, I'm not sure exactly what about, but it'd have Martha and the Doctor talking, probably with the TARDIS as well, etc.**

OR

**I could make this a reunion fic. I'm not sure if anyone noticed but some of the stuff in the last chapter I put in deliberately so that, they weren't big enough to make a huge difference if you want number 1, but if you want this one they are setting up a way for me to bring Rose back. **

**Please tell me which you would prefer. Basically the choice is of just a normal sort of ending and they get back to their travels (I'd probably make it that it goes to when the Doctor drops Martha at her place and Lazarus comes into it) OR I make it a reunion fic. Please vote.**

**Reviews = love… so please do!**

**Thanks XD,  
Metal. **


	8. Girl in the Fireplace to Age of Steel

**A/N You guys are so fantastic. I can't believe how much feedback I'm getting (averaging around 10 reviews per chapter so PLEASE keep it up!)**

**There was some variation to what people wanted for the ending so… I'm doing both! I will end it with the chapter just with the Doctor, Martha and the TARDIS and then there'll be one or two or three chapters after that, which will be like an alternate ending where Rose and the Doctor are reunited. For those of you, who don't want a reunion fic; just stop reading after the Martha and Doctor chapter. **

**I hope that pleases everyone but like I said, that still isn't for a few more chapters yet. So here it is and I hope you all enjoy it! (THIS HAS ANOTHER THING THAT WASN'T ACTUALLY IN THE EPISODE; WARN ME IF I'M DOING THIS TOO MUCH!)**

**BTW: Sorry to any Mickey fans, I don't really like him so there's a tiny bit of Mickey bashing in the beginning.**

**Disclaimer: I own no rights to Doctor Who, I wish, I dream but I never actually do… please don't sue :)**

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Chapter 8: Girl in the Fireplace

They were standing in some sort of space ship, or at least Martha thought that's what it was. The boy walked over to a window and gazed outside, grinning childishly as Rose followed him, the Doctor rummaging around a control panel looking rather unimpressed.

"Mickey Smith, meet the universe. See anything you like?" Rose asked, placing her hands on his shoulders in a friendly gesture. Martha was tense and waiting, wondering just what was going to happen that would make her upset with the Doctor… _maybe he was just being too hard on himself,_ she could only hope.

"It's so realistic!" Mickey exclaimed and Martha was stunned; just exactly how was anyone _that _daft?

"We used to call him Mickey the Idiot." The Doctor pitched in, seeming to sense what she was thinking after Mickey's rather stupid exclamation, and grinning happily in remembrance.

"Dear me had some cowboys in here! Got a ton of repair work going on." The Doctor threw some pieces of machinery down and looked curiously at a diagram of the ship, Rose and Mickey moving to look over his shoulder.

The Doctor's voice rose in curiosity and surprise. "Now that's odd, look at that. All the warp engines are going full capacity! There's enough power running through this ship to punch a hole in the universe and we're not moving. So where's all that power going?"

Rose swiveled her head, looking around the room. "Where'd all the crew go?" She asked observantly.

"Good question, no life readings on board." He leaned forward and stared intently at the monitor screen.

"Well, we're in deep space; they didn't just nip out for a quick fag." Rose muttered sarcastically.

The Doctor, however, either took her seriously or decided to play along. "Nope, checked all the smoking pods." Rose huffed out a quick laugh behind him and Martha smiled; even when they didn't notice they always said the right things to each other and somehow even after so long of watching them together it still fascinated her.

The Doctor straightened up and sniffed the air, nose screwing up. "Can you smell that?"

"Yeah, someone's cooking." Rose responded immediately, like she had already noticed.

"Sunday roast, definitely!" Martha found herself getting rather annoyed every time the man opened his mouth; he didn't seem to be cut out for space travel to her, though she'd been wrong before.

The Doctor fiddled with the panel some more until a door unexpectedly opened behind them, the three immediately walking through it, not hesitating until they saw an out of place fireplace.

"Well, there's something you don't see in your average spaceship. Eighteenth century! French! Nice mantel." He rushed forward, obviously interested, though it didn't seem to take much. "Not a hologram."

As the scene moved to fast forward the Doctor felt the TARDIS give him a mental nudge and he looked round to see Martha looking rather confused, obviously wondering why they had been shown that.

"I think she wants to get through this quickly so she showed you enough to understand the basic… story if you like, of these memories." He breathed in and looked to see how far the scene had gone before turning back, Martha watching for him to continue. "Just after that I saw a 10 year old French girl through that fireplace, had a bit of a conversation with her… That's all you've missed I think."

"Right." Martha said simply but still unsure as to what was going on.

"You said this was the fifty-first century."

"I also said this ship was generating enough power to punch a hole in the universe. I think we just found the hole." Rose and Mickey glanced down at the fireplace, trying to glimpse through the bottom. Must be a spatio-temporal hyperlink." He breathed out quickly.

"What's that?" Mickey and Martha asked at the same time.

"No idea, just made it up; didn't want to say 'magic door'." Both Doctor's responded, Martha's Doctor distinctly more cheery while inside he was remembering his exact words and wishing Rose was really there to give her retort.

"And on the other side of the," Rose made her voice drop an octave as she looked at the Doctor teasingly making Martha smile broadly, "_'_magic door', is France in 1727?" She asked, her voice returning to its usual tone.

The Doctor nodded and looked back at the fireplace before walking across the room, taking his coat off and throwing it in the corner. "Well, she was speaking French. Right period French, too." He murmured as Rose's eyes followed him as he moved, unnoticed. Martha sighed, _how oblivious could he be… or was he ignoring it on purpose. _She had no idea how much she would be thinking that first thought throughout the next half an hour.

"She was speaking English, I heard her!" Mickey spoke accusingly at the Doctor. Rose draped her arms around Mickey's neck placating and explained as the Doctor was engrossed in the fireplace.

"That's the TARDIS, translates for you."

"Even French?" Martha couldn't help the half disgusted, half annoyed, strangled noise that escaped her after that comment.

"What? He's in a different galaxy and he's met aliens and he thinks translating French is amazing?" She asked incredulously, throwing her arms about, not entirely sure why it was bothering her so much.

"Yep," Rose answered simply, obviously used to such behavior.

The Doctor kneed the side of the fireplace. "Gotcha!" He exclaimed as that section of the wall began to rotate taking the Doctor with it.

"Doctor!" Rose screamed after him, lunging forward but not fast enough. Martha was just starting to get into the memory when it fast forwarded again, the Doctor now standing back in the room, though looking like he was getting ready to go back through wherever the fireplace was taking him.

"What's through there?" Martha asked hating not knowing what was going on.

"18th century France, the bedroom of the little girl I talked to… her name was Reinette." He answered, face grave, regretful with just a hint of old sorrow.

The scene burst into action, the Doctor pointing sternly at Rose and Mickey, Rose holding a large gun… or that's what it looked like. "Don't go looking for it!"

"Where're you going?" The Doctor didn't answer as he pulled up on the mantle.

"Back in a sec."

Rose looked down at the weapon in her arms, weighing it up in her hands. Mickey's eyes widened in protest. "He said not to look for it."

"Yeah, he did." Rose stared at him for a moment, expression blank. Mickey smiled and grabbed an identical machine on the wall.

Rose laughed. "Now you're getting it!"

The scene fast forwarded, only for a second and the Doctor braced himself, knowing what was coming next. He was surprised though as it stayed in the room and they heard a voice from what sounded like just outside the door.

"You go on, I'll catch up, I've got to get something from the TARDIS." Rose's voice was followed by her rushing back in, looking behind her as if to make sure no one, specifically Mickey, was following her.

"What?" The Doctor whispered to himself. Martha could tell that this wasn't something he was expecting and was interested to know what was going to happen next.

Rose headed to the TARDIS purposefully before pausing thoughtfully and looking over at the fireplace through the open doorway, halting suddenly and changing her direction. She stepped up to it, took an unsteady breath, knelt on the ground and stooped her head as close to the ground as she could, looking up and through the fire.

Martha frowned, confused and looked to the Doctor to explain but this time he didn't.

He felt an overwhelming sense of dread fill him up as he saw her approach the mantle and closed his eyes in shame and denial as she bent down, knowing exactly what she would see. He should have known. Rose and he were barely ever separated; of course she would go back and check on him. His eyes opened back up slowly and he walked over to the blonde, beckoning Martha to get into the same position as the other girl, knowing she wouldn't understand unless she saw.

He then heard his own voice filtering through from the other room and took a very unsteady breath bracing himself.

"Right, yes, sorry." He said, sounding nervous. "Um... umm... umm, listen, lovely to catch up, but better be off, eh? Don't want your mother finding you up here with a strange man, do we?" He asked an unknown, blonde girl that Martha set eyes upon for the first time.

"Strange? How could you be a stranger to me? I have known you since I was seven years old." Her posh, well mannered voice filtered through suspiciously close to where his own came from. He heard Martha gasp as she really took in their position that he remembered all too well.

"Yeah, I suppose you have." He graced the other blonde with a small laugh. "I came the quick route."

Martha couldn't believe it. It almost sounded like he was flirting. _Argh, this can't be happening, _she thought, ignoring how sore her neck was getting from being in such an awkward position.

She shifted her gaze to look at Rose's face seeing that the young girls smile had disappeared and her brows were furrowed.

The Doctor watched Rose's face intently; knowing however she took this it wouldn't be good. He wished with everything he had that he could take it back, especially now he knew that she had actually witnessed it. _No wonder she was so distant afterwards. _

Martha watched as Reinette touched the Doctor's cheek, examining him. His eyes widened at the contact but he didn't pull away. She heard Rose growl under her breath and in any other situation would have laughed, if she hadn't been fighting back the same impulse.

"Well, you seem to be flesh and blood at any rate, but this is absurd. Reason tells me you cannot be real." Reinette continued voice soft as her hand fell from his face.

"Oh, you never want to listen to reason."" The Doctor answered, doing nothing to dissuade her advances. Someone in the background called to the woman who looked annoyed with the interruption, focus going back in an instant to the Doctor.

"A moment!" She yelled back. "So many questions," she directed at the Doctor whose face was entirely too close to hers for Martha's, and no doubt Rose's, liking, "so little time."

Martha pulled back and stood violently as she saw Reinette pull him down into a kiss, which was reciprocated. As she pulled up, fierce glare at the ready she heard Rose's heartbroken voice whisper his name - "Doctor" - quietly and saw the glistening of a single tear on her cheek. Her anger rose as her gaze fell on the Doctor and she was only a millisecond from screaming at him when she really took in his face.

He was now knelt down beside Rose, who was now straightened but still on her knees, looking listlessly at the wall, as close as he could be. His face was set in grim defeat and self-hate as he pointlessly raised a hand laid it invisibly on Rose's cheek, letting it hang for only a second before he pulled back and stood, whispering an "I'm so sorry," as he rose.

He didn't meet her eye's and she couldn't bring herself to say anything to him, knowing he was putting himself through enough hell already but unsure if she was able to give him any words of comfort after watching his betrayal. She was sure that Reinette was really a lovely person, she also knew that technically there was nothing physically going on between the Doctor and Rose but it still felt like he was betraying her, and by the look on both their faces they both felt it too.

The sounds of Reinette leaving the room sounded distantly and Rose quickly stood from the floor, rushing to the door and leaving, all the while wiping her eyes and they both heard a quiet sniff as she attempted to regain her composure.

They were then silently transported to another part of the ship, watching the three of them watch France again. Martha studied Rose's face to see if she could find any remnant of her distress from earlier. The only indication she had seen what she had was her very slight coldness towards the Doctor.

"Blimey, look at this guy. Who does he think he is?" Mickey asked as a regal fellow entered the room they were watching.

"King of France," The Doctor answer from just behind them.

"Oh, here's trouble. What you been up to?" She watched his face closely as he answered; looking as though she was waiting for him to admit something. The smile constructed on her face faded as he answered with no mention of the kiss as he lied to her.

"Oh, this and that. Became the imaginary friend of a future French aristocrat... picked a fight with a clockwork man. Oh, and I met a horse."

Without any more they stood in the yet another corridor of the ship. Mickey gave a short laugh.

"So, that Doctor, eh?"

"What are you talking about?" Rose asked, trying to ignore his suggestiveness.

"Well: Madame de Pompadour, Sarah Jane Smith, Cleopatra."

"Cleopatra, he mentioned her ONCE!" She responded, getting angry.

"Amazing!" Martha exclaimed. "Even after all this she's still defending you… I don't know how she does it."

The Doctor scuffed his sneaker on the floor and his eyes flickered across the blonde's face. "Neither do I." He whispered, trying to figure out what she was feeling but finding himself unable to do so.

After that they watched as, before the Doctor entered faking drunkenness, Rose spoke with the enemy, her composure only failing with a slight shake in her voice out of fear. Martha found it astounding that, no matter the amount of emotional turmoil she must be going through, she still held it together without the Doctor at the very least able to distract the monsters enough to buy the Doctor time to get to them.

She had never been put it the position that she had to deal with whatever was after them by herself and she wasn't sure if she'd be able to cope. She could admit with only a tiny amount of jealousy that Rose really was better at all the space and time matter than she was.

After not too long at all they stood watching Mickey run away down a corridor and Rose looking at Reinette nervously, unsure.

"Are you okay?" She was concerned for the woman she had every right to dislike. _I should have been like that from the beginning, _Martha thought, ashamed of herself for ever thinking badly of Rose just because of her jealousy.

"No. I'm very afraid. But you and I both know, don't we, Rose? The Doctor is worth the monsters." With that Reinette turned and left and Rose was left standing by herself thinking over the words. She didn't look happy and for a moment her face set in a grimace, as if she doubted those words, doubted everything.

Martha heard the Doctor suck in a fearful breath as he saw the same thing she did, even though he knew everything would turn out okay. The thought of her ever doubting her place with him was enough to make him feel physically sick; he couldn't believe he'd damaged the two of them so much with such a careless action and for what? For a girl who, while she had seen into his mind, would never fully connect with him because the time she was from raised a very different sort of person, above Rose who somehow understood him better than anyone he had ever met yet had never even come close to mentally touching his mind. For a girl who wanted to see the stars and had only been around him for a total of a few hours above someone who had stayed with him for over a year, really wanted to help people and would constantly promise him her forever.

He was pulled abruptly from his self-hating thoughts to see that they were now back in the room with the TARDIS, working in a panic.

Martha wondered where the huge window had come from that was now situated on the wall. "I don't get it. How come they got in there?" She asked, also watching the window as the mechanical enemy rounded-up the French dancers.

"They teleported, you saw them. As long as the ship and the ballroom are linked, their short-range teleports will do the trick." The Doctor called over to her, never stopping the work he was doing on the control panel.

"Well, we'll go in the TARDIS!" Rose spun to face him.

"We can't use the TARDIS; we're part of events now."

"Well, can't we just smash through it?" Mickey asked ignorantly.

"Hyperplex this side, plate glass the other. We need a truck."

"We don't have a truck."

The Doctor's voice rose to a shout as he became angry at their situation, face contorting in frustration. "I know we don't have a truck!"

"Well, we've got to try something!"

"No, smash the glass, smash the time window, they'd be no way back." The Doctor said, avoiding both their eyes as Rose stared at him intently.

Martha watched in despondency as the Doctor stopped his work and ran off to the side, beckoning the horse that had been following him earlier. Without saying a word he climbed on and kicked it into motion, sending both of them careening through the window that smashed, making him and the ballroom disappear in flying shards of glass. There was silence for a few seconds and they watched as Rose didn't move, staring at the window until Mickey shifted forward and turned to her. "What happened? Where did the time window go? How's he gonna get back?"

Rose was still, not answering his question. She eyes didn't move from where the Doctor had just disappeared and yet again her right cheek was wet with a singular tear track, the breath in her chest hitching uncontrollably.

"What were you-" Martha began but was cut off.

"I know," the Doctor said in much the same tone as he had used with Mickey and Rose before he disappeared.

"You didn't even say goodbye!" Martha said again, unable to believe he would do such a thing

"I know Martha," his voice rose again and he turned his back on the scene, hands leaning on a table that had appeared behind them quite some time ago for Martha to lean on. "If I could change it than I would but… I couldn't just leave her."

She watched as the Doctor hugged Rose, having got back, shook Mickey's hand and then rushed back to the fireplace, Rose watching on as he left her again for the French woman, face falling in bleak acceptance and rejection before turning to the TARDIS.

Martha didn't say anything, but seeing that the scene changed and Reinette was no where in sight, the Doctor, Rose and Mickey in the TARDIS, she figured they had moved on.

"What happened?" She asked softly, trying to see his face but gave up as he shifted away from her, obviously having a difficult time, still not having turned around. "To Reinette?" She knew that while he couldn't have loved her after a day he had still cared for her and disregarding his actions towards Rose no one should have to hurt like that.

"She died. I forgot for a split second that time moved differently and I went back and… she was gone."

Martha sighed and blinked. "Are you alright?" He turned back then, looking at least a little better. He didn't say anything, just nodded his head and sniffed in a breath, crossed his arms over his chest as a defense mechanism and avoided her eyes by looking back at the action.

She sighed knowing she wouldn't get anymore out of him about that. She was distinctly happy to notice that the scene the TARDIS had given them was much more light hearted and happy than the last, she sighed in relief hoping it would stay that way for a while even if the thought was unrealistic.

The Doctor, Rose and Mickey looked like they were simply hanging out in the TARDIS. The Doctor and Rose were both slumped in chairs next to each other while Mickey stood by the console, arm stretched over, index finger bent slightly with the pressure of holding down a small button on the TARDIS.

"-And that weird munchkin lady with the big eyes? Do you remember?" The Doctor looked at Rose with laughter dancing in his eyes and body language as he lent even closer. Both Martha and the Doctor were infinitely glad that their old familiarity and closeness had returned. "- The way she looked at you! And then she opens her mouth and firecomes out!" He recounted ecstatically, mouth open in a wide grin that Rose imitated as she laughed aloud.

"I thought I was gonna get frazzled!"

"Yeah, One minute she's standing there, and the next minute - rawwwh!" They both gestured with their hands comically, looking at each other and laughing instantly again.

Mickey nodded and smiled at them, though Martha got the impression he really was not following and had no idea what they were talking about. "Yeah, where - where was that, then? What happened?"

Their enthusiasm died a bit at having to explain. "Oh, it was on this um... uh, this uh... planet thing, asteroid. It's a long story, you had to be there." Mickey's smile withered as he looked between the two as if realizing something he didn't want to know. _They only work as a couple, _Martha thought without voicing, knowing without a doubt that it was true. 'Um... what're you doing that for?" The Doctor asked as he looked at the button the standing man was still pressing.

"'Cause you told me to."

The Doctor blinked in confusion and Rose looked between the two biting her nails. "When was that?"

"About half an hour ago."

"Um. You can let go now." Rose laughed behind her hand as the Doctor struggled not to do the same, the real Doctor and Martha chuckling along with her as Mickey got a highly offended look on his face.

"Well, how long's it been since I could've stopped?"

"Ten minutes? Twenty? ... Twenty-nine?" He voice wavered as a hint of laughter broke through.

"This is not your world." The Doctor's voice said as the scene shifted to the three of them standing outside in London.

"But if the _date's_ the same it's parallel, right? Am I right? Like a parallel Earth where they've got Zeppelins, am I right? I'm right, aren't I?" _Oh, now he's starting to catch on, _Martha thought, liking this helpful Mickey a lot more.

"Must be." Martha flicked a glance to the Doctor only to see him strangely looking up to the sky, staring intently at the Zeppelins overhead in resentment and contempt.

"Doctor what is it?" She asked, thoroughly confused as to what he was reacting to this time.

He blinked a few times before looking around the general area then back to the sky, only mumbling his reply. "I hate this place." He didn't often use the word hate but the emotion was so strong in his voice as he spat out the words she believed him wholeheartedly. "If it wasn't for it… and _Lumic,_" he spat the name out like a disease he needed to rid himself of before burying his face momentarily in his hands, righting himself not two seconds later, stony faced barriers back in place.

Martha swallowed and chose not to say anything to him, afraid that she'd say the wrong thing, especially since she really didn't even understand what he was talking about.

"So, a parallel world where-"

"Oh, come on. You see it on films. Like an alternative to our world were everything's the same but a little bit different, like I don't know, traffic lights are blue, Tony Blair never got elected-" Rose spoke up, staring slack jawed at an advertisement in amazement.

"And he's still alive. A parallel world and my dad's still alive." She walked reverently towards the poster, Mickey and the Doctor following warily.

"Don't look at it, Rose. Don't even think about it. This is not your world." The Doctor kept his eyes trained on her face, eyebrows creased in worry as he spoke firmly.

"But he's my dad... and." She reached out and touched the poster, making it spring to life. Martha felt her face set in grim sadness; she could only imagine what sort of a battle Rose was going through.

"Oh, that's weird. But he's real," the shock was slowly fading and a smile crossed her face delightedly.

"Trust me on this." The poster gave hem a wink and thumbs up.

Rose's face lifted in joy. "He's a success! He was always planning these daft little schemes, health-food drinks and stuff. Everyone said they were useless. But he did it."

The Doctor rounded on her quickly and grabbed her by the shoulders, stooping so that she had to look into his eyes. "Rose, of you've ever trusted me then listen to me now – stop looking at it!" His voice rose as her eyes drifted back to look at the poster. "Your father's dead. He died when you were six months old. That is not your Pete. That is aPete. For all we know, he's got his own Jackie, his own Rose, his own daughter who is someone else, but not you. You can't see him, not ever." He looked at her pleadingly, obviously hating himself for being as harsh but knowing he had to do it as she nodded at him.

The Doctor remembered that day, how he had wanted so badly for it to be real for her. The look in her eyes, it was the same one she shot at him back in his ninth regeneration that ended up with him going back a second time at the time of his death. He had wanted to give in to her again then but knew it would only hurt her more if he let her believe he was really her father.

Without warning they were then outside again but this time by the water, the Doctor and Mickey walking towards Rose who was perched atop a wooden bench, looking down somberly at her mobile phone.

"There you are! You all right? No applause, I fixed it. Twenty-four hours, then we're flying back to reality." The Doctor said on his approach, sitting down close beside her and holding a small glowing green cell up to show her. His grin faded as she didn't even look up, not responding to him in any way.

_Well that's definitely rare, _Martha thought, instantly concerned. It certainly wasn't normal for Rose to treat the Doctor with such disregard.

"What is it?" He asked noticing the mobile still clutched in her hands.

"My phone connected. There's this Cybus Network, it finds your phone. It gave me Internet access." She spoke quietly, upset.

"Rose, whatever it says, this is the wrong world." His voice was deeper than usual as he looked up at her face frowning in sympathetic warning. Martha internally begged her to listen to him, knowing it was useless and given the same opportunity knowing almost anyone would do the same thing.

"I don't exist." She muttered in reply.

"What do you mean?"

"There's no Rose Tyler. I was never born. There's Pete, my dad, and Jackie, he still married mum but they never had kids." She looked down at the small screen, voice sounding strangled with tears.

The Doctor made a swipe at the mobile in an attempt to get it away from her, having already done too much damage. "Give me that phone." But Rose pulled it away quickly.

"They're rich. They've got a house and cars, and everything they want," she paused thinking, "But they haven't got me." She stood and walked away from the bench.

Martha felt so much sympathy for this girl. At some point in their life almost every child would wonder if their parents would be better off, or happier, without them. But to have the evidence of such a thing laid out before you like that, she could only imagine how painful it must be for her.

The young blonde turned back, looking at the Doctor pleadingly. "I've got to see him."

"You can't." He spoke urgently, knowing he was losing the fight.

"I just want to see him." She argued walking steadily backwards away from the bench.

"I can't let you!" The Doctor shouted at her frustrated yet not really doing anything to stop her. _Like he ever would, _Martha thought.

Rose seemed to share in his frustration at that and sounded angry as she spoke again. "You just said twenty-four hours!"

"You can't become their daughter, that's not the way it works! Mickey, tell her."

Mickey stood and also stepped away, in the opposite direction to Rose. "Twenty-four hours, yeah?"

"Where're you going?" the Doctor looked bewildered, eyes shooting between Mickey and Rose, trying to stop them both.

"Well, I can do what I want."

"I've got the address and everything." Rose pleaded, holding up the phone and walking again.

"Stay where you are, both of you! Rose, come back here! Mickey, come back here right now!"

"I just want to see him." She repeated.

"Yeah, I've got things to see and all." Mickey agreed.

"Like WHAT?" The Doctor felt ashamed that he had never taken the time to get to know Mickey better; he really was a good person, even useful when he wanted to be the Doctor thought with an internal laugh. As he watched the past situation he let a smile slip onto his face, Mickey was right, there had never been a slight doubt or hesitation in his mind about who he would follow and take care of; given the choice, he would never leave her alone.

"Well, you don't know anything about me, do you? It's always about Rose. I'm just a spare part." Mickey yelled with resentment, looking at him condescendingly as if daring him to argue. Martha felt the first twinges of sympathy and regret for this man; maybe he wasn't as stupid as he was acting before.

"I'm sorry. I've got to go."

They watched as Mickey watched the Doctor look between them both, eyes lingering for just a second longer on Rose and her beseeching face. "Go on then. No choice, is there? You can only chase after one of us, and it's never going be me is it?"

Rose turned and walked forward, the Doctor's mind being made instantly. "Back here in twenty-four hours!" He directed at Mickey before rushing off to catch up with Rose, not wanting to let her out of his sight even for a second.

Martha sighed, that was a rather obvious outcome. Everything seemed like it would be easier for everyone if the Doctor would just stop fighting his apparent feelings and admit to them, his actions certainly already did.

Predictably the scene changed gradually so that they stood in the middle of quite a crowd in what looked like a considerably sized foyer of an expensive house. Rose and the Doctor stood right beside them, dressed in waiter/waitress outfits, smiling politely as the formally dressed people took the offerings off their trays.

"If you want to know what's going on, work in the kitchens," the Doctor said matter-of-factly. They retreated out of the crowd to the side of the room, watching the proceedings carefully. He pointed to a man talking in a small group. "According to Lucy, that man over there-"

"Who's Lucy?" Rose interrupted sharply looking up at him with raised eyebrows. Martha laughed quietly as the Doctor explained earnestly not noticing the jealous expression on Rose's face.

"She's carrying the salmon pinwheels." He nodded in the direction of a young waitress on the other side of the room.

"Oh, that's Lucy is it?" He looked down at her then, same expression on his face as he nodded in confirmation. "Yeah," Rose nodded at him, face incredulous as if waiting for him to realize she had a problem, which he didn't as he continued talking. "Lucy says, that is the President of Great Britain."

"What, there's a President, not a Prime Minister?" Martha and Rose said together. _That's just getting weird, _Martha thought, maybe they weren't so different after all.

"Seems so."

"Or maybe Lucy's just a bit thick." Rose said under her breath, eye's widening comically in exasperation. Martha laughed aloud at that and looked up to make sure the Doctor wasn't offended or something, happy at seeing him only smile back at her, probably marveling over his own obliviousness.

A few seconds of fast forwarding later and they stood in the small room, near some stairs watching as Rose's mother used her name to summon a small, hairy dog. Martha watched, gaping at the idiocy of the Doctor as he couldn't restrain his laughter, Rose looking up at him in offence and annoyance.

"Yeah, probably shouldn't have done that," the Doctor pondered as the scene transformed again, hand again running through his hair. _It's going to look like a birds nest by the time we're done, _Martha couldn't help but think.

This scene seemed to be some time later. The house was gone and they were now situated on a high grass hill, Mickey and a bunch of other people with them.

"Fake ear-pods." An older woman spoke to the Doctor, holding some of the silver ear pods in her right hand. "Dead. No signal. But put them on, the Cybermen would mistake you for one of the crowd."

"Then that's my job." Rose's dad, Pete, said.

"You'd have to show noemotion. None at all, anysign of emotion would give you away."

"How many of those have you got?" Rose asked bending over the sitting woman.

"Just two sets."

"Okay. If that's the best way of finding Jackie, I'm coming with you." She stood and went next to Pete who looked at her in confusion.

"Why does she matter to you?"

"We haven't got time. Doctor, I'm going with him, and that's that." She looked sternly at the Doctor, daring him to argue with her. He stared at her for a second but Martha could see he had given in after barely a second.

"No stopping you, is there?" He said it like he wished there was but his eyes told a different story, shining with pride.

"Nope," she responded confidently, catching the ear pods as he threw them at her.

"Tell you what... we can take the ear-pods at the same time. Give people their minds back. So they don't walk into that place like sheep. Jakey-boy?" The scene moved as he ran to the side with the boy apparently called Jake, this time Mickey walking off to the side with the same man.

"Mickey?" The Doctor called, causing him to turn back. "Good luck." The Doctor called sincerely. Looking back now he had to wonder if his mind was already made up about staying and if not, when he decided. Still, he was glad the boy had found something better for himself and that world certainly did him more good than theirs ever did.

"Yeah. You too. Rose, I'll see you later."

"Yeah, you better."

The Doctor spoke up again. "If we survive this, I'll see you back at the TARDIS." He smiled at Mickey, hidden meaning in his eyes as they stared each other down.

"That's a promise." The dark man walked away, more confidence this time. The scene showed him glancing back over his shoulder just in time to see the tight, intimate hug the Doctor and Rose shared, pulling away and both looking all the happier from the brief but meaningful contact.

The Doctor remembered what he had said just before they left him and he was right. When it was him and Rose it really was just the two of them. Somehow they had become so close, almost more like one person than two, that having anyone else around became awkward, stilted. They had to think around that person, not used to having to do things like extra explaining or dealing with a different sense of humor or adventure.

"Good luck." The Doctor quietly spoke to her, faces still incredibly close together as Rose nodded to him, grinning, and both their eyes just slightly shiny with tears looking as though neither wanted to pull away.

The image slipped away to show the Doctor, Rose, Mickey and Jake standing just a bit away from the TARDIS.

"Off we go, then!" The Doctor exclaimed happily, suit folded in his hands.

"Uh... thing is, I'm staying." Mickey said unexpectedly.

"You're doing what?"

"You can't." Both the Doctor and Rose responded in the same tone, Rose just slightly more upset.

When Mickey spoke next his voice trembled with barely held back tears. "It sort of balances out, 'cause this world lost its Ricky. But there's me. And there's work to be done with all those Cybermen still out there."

"But you can't stay," Rose pleaded hopelessly, knowing it wouldn't make any different.

"Rose, my gran's here. She's still alive. My old gran, remember her?"

Rose responded tearfully. "Yeah."

"She needsme."

And then they got to the real heart of the issue. "What about me? What if I need you?"

Mickey looked away for a second, acceptance bright in his dark orbs. "Yeah, but Rose, you don't. It's just you and him, isn't it?" He looked over at the Doctor and back at Rose, both of them shooting each other a look but not saying anything to argue. Even back then they knew it was true and always would be. "We had something a long time ago, but not anymore."

"Well we'll come back. We can travel anywhere, come and see you, yeah?"

The Doctor stepped forward regretfully and swallowed heavily before speaking. "We can't. I told you, travel between parallel worlds is impossible. We only got here by accident. We - we fell through a crack in time. When we leave I've got to close it. We can't ever return." He stared at Mickey for a moment, making sure it was what the other man really wanted.

As they shook hands and Rose and Mickey shared a last hug before the scene moved one last time to the Tyler's living room and an emotional scene between Rose and her mother, the Doctor behind Rose giving her silent support, until after a few minutes the younger girl turned and flew back into the Doctors arms for a tight, lingering embrace.

Martha knew it would be for the better. Rose might be upset but everything that Mickey said was so obviously the truth that none of them even attempted to present an argument. He was the same as Martha; both of them wanted someone who was completely and irrevocable in love with someone else, so much so that there wasn't even really any place left for them in that person's life. Martha was smart enough to realize that if Rose were to return, though neither of them would ever tell her to go, she wouldn't stay because it'd make things too hard for all of them and those two, above anyone else she had ever met, deserved a happy ending.

**A/N I'm not as happy with this chapter but I knew I wouldn't be before I wrote it. These three episodes were probably my least favourite in the series (after "Love & Monsters" XD) so I hope I didn't mess it up too much and sorry if you wanted more of them in it. Up next "the Idiot's Lantern", which might take up a whole chapter 'cause I love it so much :D Please keep reviewing! So sorry for any mistakes, as usual!**

**Feedback = Faster chapters for you :P**


	9. Idiot's Lantern

**A/N As always thanks so much for the reviews. I hope I did this episode justice, tell me any time its getting boring or anything. Happy reading :D**

**Disclaimer: I own no rights to Doctor Who.**

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Chapter 9 Idiot's Lantern

Martha coughed out in a loud laugh as soon as the scene finished shaping itself, seeing Rose in a ridiculously pink dress and matching hair band and high-heeled shoes, denim jacket over the top. Through her giggles she glanced at the Doctor to see him staring at Rose in utter delight, obviously enjoying the view, one of the most easy to read looks on his face Martha thought she had ever seen, only making her laugh harder. She never dressed up for the time period specifically to avoid things like that, though it did seem to suit the girl amazingly well and come to think of it, based on the look the Doctor was still shooting at the image maybe if she wanted him to notice her she should have.

"I thought we'd be going for the Vegas era, you know the white flares and the," her nose scrunched up, making a tiny growling noise and making a claw with her hand, making the Doctor's grin widen, "chest hair."

Finally the other Doctor poked his head round the TARDIS door, his hair gelled back, that being the first time Martha could ever recall seeing the Doctor's hair being neat in any why, let alone styled.

"You are kidding, aren't you? You want to see Elvis, you go in the late 50's!" Martha gleefully took note that his eyes flicked uncontrollably to give the blonde a once over, a maneuver she could just imagine the Doctor was doing right then but not bothering to turn to check. "The time before burgers, when they called him 'the Pelvis' and he still had a waist," he called from inside the TARDIS again.

Rose laughed and the real Doctor relished in the sound, keying away everything they saw, making sure to take note of all the small details he had missed before. He remembered having some of the same thoughts, though less intense, after this very adventure, never letting her know just how shaken up he was after seeing her with no face, no personality, nothing that made her _Rose_.

The smile slipped slightly from his face, the beginnings of a frown appearing. He knew he was confusing Martha with all his sudden mood swings but after being in that room for so long, sometimes he almost forgot, because he wanted to, that these were just memories, though if he really forgot he'd be over there trying to catch her up in his arms in an instant. But that just made it all the more painful when he had an urge to go comfort his beautiful little human and he had to come crashing back to reality and to the fact that she was still as far away as eve, though the tiniest modicum of hope was beginning to well in him that it wouldn't be forever, but it was so small he still refused to let himself feel it.

"What's more, you see him in style!" They heard the sound of an engine coming from within the TARDIS before Martha's mouth fell open in gaping shock and envy as he rode out on a blue moped, sunglasses and helmet already in place, Rose laughing in amusement the whole while.

The Doctor looked over at her with a cheeky grin and put on a fake Elvis accent. "You goin' my way, doll?"  
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**Rose smiled back and put on a pair of pink sunglasses, attitude dripping off her movements, also using an accent as she spoke like an American. "Is there any other way to go, daddy-o? Straight from the fridge, man!" She began laughing at the end of her own sentence and walked towards him, almost skipping with pleasure.

"Hey, you speak the lingo!" He tossed her a pink version of the same helmet occupying his head, her catching it and putting it on while climbing onto the back.

"Yeah well me, mum, Cliff Richard movies every Bank Holiday Monday." As she settled behind him Martha couldn't help but once again think that were she in the same position with the Doctor there was no way he would look as relaxed as he did with Rose, smiling at her over his shoulder and his expression only intensifying as they took off and Rose wrapped her arms rather unnecessarily around his waist tightly.

"Ah, Cliff! I knew your mother'd be a Cliff fan."

The street faded into another and the Doctor and Rose were still astride the moped, coming around a corner and stopping, gazing in confusion at tall gates that were closed off with two men sweeping the ground in front of it.

The Doctor stared up at the tall gates, bemused. "Lost them. How'd they get away from us?" He asked rhetorically.

Rose shot an annoyed look at his back. "Surprised they didn't turn back and arrest you for reckless driving, have you actually pass your test." Martha smiled as he ignored her, calling into play his selective hearing that he used at the best of times, she snorted at her own thoughts sarcastically.

"Men in black? Vanishing police cars? This is Churchill's England, not Stalin's Russia!"

"Why were you chasing them?" She asked the still stiff man beside her.

"We had just seen them taking a man from his home and stealing him away. A boy told us people were turning into monsters." He let a sliver of fake mysteriousness slip into his voice for her benefit and cocked his eyebrow at her, glad to see her smile in return.

They turned back in time to hear Rose saying, "Maybe we should go and ask the neighbors."

The Doctor spoke to her sweetly over his shoulder, smiling slyly. "That's what I like about you. The domestic approach."

Rose again changed her voice comically as she grinning widely at his comment. "Thank you." She stopped and seemed to think about it for a second. The Doctor kicked the moped back into life a just the right second as she figured it out and Martha heard Rose's unsure, but offended, question as they sped off.

"Hold on, was that an insult?"

Without anything further Martha found herself looking down at the Doctor and Rose from beside a rather large man, the two of them looking up at him from the doorway with huge, fake and cheesy grins covering their faces.

"Hiiiiii!" They exclaimed in perfectly synchronized cheerful chorus, Martha thinking that they probably didn't even have to practice to do that so perfectly, knowing being so in sync with each other was a natural thing, even when acting as they so obviously were.

"Who are you, then?" The big man questioned aggressively, Martha instantly took a rather large disliking to him.

The Doctor spoke low, tilting his head just slightly in Rose's direction so only she would hear him. "Let's see then, judging by the look of you - family man, nice house, decent wage, fought in the war - therefore, I represent Queen and country!" He held up his psychic paper now talking to the man, grin still in place. "Just doing a little check of Her Majesty's forthcoming subjects for the great day. Don't mind if I come in? Nah, didn't think you did, thank you." They pushed in past the man rudely as Martha registered that they were at the coronation of the Queen, wondering if that was important.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw the Doctor glowering strongly at the large, dark haired man and wondered just what the man did to provoke such a stare.

Once inside, the Doctor and Martha following the Doctor and Rose into the living room, the four of them looked around. "Not bad, very nice! Very well kept, I'd like to congratulate you, Mrs.?" He looked to the woman standing meekly in the corner.

"Connolly." She said simply, shooting anxious looks at her stern husband.

"Now then Rita, I can handle this. This gentleman's a proper representative!" The man spoke loudly over his wife and Martha watched as the Doctor sent a reassuring wink to Mrs. Connolly, Rose perching herself on the arm of the chair quietly, observing attentively. "Don't mind the wife, she rattles on a bit."

The Doctor looked back at the man distastefully and scowled at him. "Well, maybe she should rattle on a bit more." He ignored the shocked looks he received all round. "I'm not convinced you're doing your patriotic duty. Nice flags. Why are they not flying?" Martha then saw a bundle of tangled union flags on a side table and smirked at the horrible man, just waiting for one of the men to lose their anger.

"There we are Rita, I told you get them up, Queen and country." The Doctor looks at him with his eyebrows raised, not impressed by his attitude towards the small woman.

"I'm sorry-"

"What's she sorry for, she didn't do anything wrong!" Martha stated, outraged. Dealing with monsters and aliens was everyday work for them but coming upon an abused family really got to her because it's obvious that's what they were, even if the abuse wasn't physical.

"Get it done, do it now." The Doctor held up a hand, looking between the two, Rose frowning at Mr. Connolly in disgust from her place on the chair.

"Hold on a minute-"

"Like the gentleman says–"

"Hold on a minute. You've got hands, Mr. Connolly. Two big hands! Why is that your wife's job?" Martha wondered how he would explain that one, since it was clear this was a time when it was commonality for the woman to do the housework.

"It's housework, innit? Mr. Connolly responded, proving Martha's point.

The Doctor plastered a surprised and shocked look on his face. "And that's a woman's job?"

"Course it is!"

The Doctor stepped closer to him, beginning to look threatening. "Mr. Connolly, what gender is the Queen?" Martha smirked again at the dumbfounded look on the mans greasy face.

"She's a female."

"And are you suggesting the Queen does the housework?" She saw the son grin happily as Mr. Connolly looked stricken, hesitating in his answer.

"No, not at all." The bulbous man replied unconvincingly.

The Doctor picked up the string of flags and half handed, half threw, them at him. "Then get busy."

"Right, yes sir."

"Ah, that was fun," the Doctor said from her side, somewhat more lighthearted than before. "Rose was brilliant," he added, almost making it sound like an after thought but probably wanting to acknowledge it since the memory started. Martha smiled; she thought she was getting better at reading him.

"You'll be proud of us, sir. We'll have Union Jacks left, right and centre." Rose suddenly stood from were she was sitting, placing her hands on her hips, as the Doctor slowly paced back across the room, watching interestedly.

Excuse me, Mr. Connolly, hang on a minute. Union Jacks?" She raised an eyebrow at him in mock offence.

He paused in his work and turned to look at her. "Yes, that's right, isn't it?"

"That's the Union Flag. It's the Union Jack only when it's flown at sea," she replied confidently, staring him down impressively.

"Oh, oh, I'm sorry I do apologize."

Rose smiled at him widely, patronizingly. "Well don't get it wrong again, there's a good man. Now get to it!" She ordered him forcefully, looking proud of herself as he turned back to his work and she sent the Doctor a coy smile, seating herself right beside him on the sofa.

"Nice," Martha nodded approvingly, wondering how they were always so comfortable with no personal space as their faces lent together to talk quietly to each other.

"Yeah," the Doctor replied nostalgically.

"Union Flag?" He questioned her, glancing down at her in bewilderment.

"Mum went out with a sailor." She grinned up at his face that was so very close to hers.

"Oohohohoo, I bet she did!" He raised his voice again as she laughed at him, Martha wondering just how invested he got into not only Rose, but her family. Every time she brought it up the Doctor blatantly, outright refused to associate with hers but it sounded like he knew Rose's mother rather well, looked like it too based on the things they had seen before. _He's afraid of losing another family.  
_  
With that the scene fast forwarded what looked to be only a minute or two, though she couldn't tell for sure and she wasn't going to bother asking the Doctor, knowing he was, and had been, watching everything intensely like he was trying to imprint everything perfectly in his mind for a second time.

"Hold on a minute! Queen and country's one thing, but this is my house!" He looked down at the flags in his hands and chucked them down. The Doctor propped his head on his forearm and balled fist, appearing calm but giving the distinct impression that he was restraining himself.

Martha looked back at the bigger man who seemed to be turning a dark red. _He's in trouble now. _She hardly ever saw that look on the Doctor's face but when she did she always tried to duck for cover.

"What the… What the hell am I doing? Now you listen here, Doctor! You may have fancy qualifications, but what goes on under my roof is my business!"

The Doctor spoke at him scathingly. "All the people are being bundled into-"

The other man interrupted, shouting at the Doctor loudly and signing his own death warrant. "I am talking!"

Something in the Doctor seemed to snap and he was up and out of his seat in a second flat, face only centimeters from the other mans as his face contorted with anger and he shouted even louder, looming over the stubby man.

"And I'm not listening! Now you, Mr. Connolly, are staring into a deep, dark PIT of trouble if you don't let me help." The other man was clearly shaken and the only person in the room without any fear seemed to be Rose, who was beside the wife, comforting her quietly. Even Martha felt a shrill of foreboding at such a strong attack coming from the Doctor and it would take someone who knew him incredible, indefinably well to be able to be completely comfortable in the same room as the raging Time Lord.

Her eyes found Rose and she deflated again, being reminded for the thousandth time why she would never be with the Doctor. After all, now that she thought about it, she hardly knew him at all and suddenly she didn't want to because it only felt like she would be intruding were she didn't belong.

At her internal revelation she hardly even noticed the change, only catching her attention when a large, burly man brutally punched the Doctor in the face forcing him to the ground in an unconscious collapse.

"Doctor!" Rose screamed in horror as he went down, following him to the ground and bending over him; face a picture of extreme worry. Martha didn't think that had ever happened to the Doctor before, it was such a common thing that it seemed like it should never happen to such an uncommon man.

After she had the time to really take in the extent of Rose's, perhaps unnecessary, dismay the focus changed, now Rose was by herself in a shop full of televisions, the Doctor no where in sight.

"I'm sure you'll find somewhere to watch it. Please go." The man standing near the door said, his voice shaking with nerves.

"Seems to me half of London's got a television, since you're practically giving them away." Rose stated suspiciously, glaring at him in determination to get answered, once again taking the lead in investigation so well that Martha considered her almost as good as the Doctor.

"I have my reasons." He responded noncommittally.

But she kept pushing, though the man was potentially dangerous. "And what are they?"

Though the Doctor wasn't sure he wanted to keep watching, knowing without a doubt how this scene was going to end, he couldn't help the mass amount of pride that welled in him as he watched her question the man confidently. She was such a natural and if he wasn't so overly protective of her he probably wouldn't have minded her wondering off so many times when they were still travelling together.

One of the TV's behind them flashed on and an old fashioned woman wailed out at them. "Hungry! Hungry!" Martha didn't like the look of the woman and felt something akin to fear at her whines but ignored it, she was just an image wasn't she?

"What's that?" Rose asked, jumping in shock.

"It's just a television. One of these modern programmes. Now, I really do think you should leave! Right now!" Martha frowned, there was no way the man was telling the truth.

"Not until you've answered my questions. How comes your televisions are so cheap?" Her voice grew firmer and louder, patience waning as he still refused to talk to her and her very own brand of anger clearly welling up inside.

_I wonder if she got that from the Doctor as well? _

"It's my patriotic duty. Seems only right that as many folk as possible get to watch the coronation. We may be losing the Empire but we can still be proud. Twenty million people they reckon'll be watching, imagine that." Rose smiled, obviously unconvinced as she stared the man down, still not moving to leave. "And twenty million people can't be wrong, eh? So why don't you get yourself back home and get up, bright and early, for the big day?" He once again tried to usher her out of the shop and Martha knew he was going to lose, badly.

"Nah, I'm not leaving 'til I've seen everything."

A quick fast forward later and Martha shook her head, trying to keep up with the quick changes.

"What a pretty little girl." The woman on the TV said chillingly. Martha's eyes widened, she was actually right! She could feel the Doctor's glare get even worse as the woman spoke, his yes practically shooting flames at the image.

"Oh, my God, are you talking to me?"

"Yes, I'm talking to you little one. Unseasonably chilly for the time of year, don't you think?"

"What are you?" Rose was breathless as fear crept into her suddenly, her posture stiffening.

"I'm the Wire. And I'm hungrrryyy!" The foul woman bared her teeth and Martha felt a huge urge to try and help Rose as pinkish tendrils of electricity shot from the screen and encompass Rose's face, augmenting it as it was seemingly sucked up. She heard the Doctor growled ferally beside her and saw his fists clench tightly as he took a minute step forward before stopping himself, Martha knew, thinking and feeling the same thing as her only a thousand times stronger.

"Magpie, help me!" Rose cried, her voice strained like she was speaking through pain.

They listened in anger and disgust and Rose begged the man to help her, whimpering and crying out as he did nothing. As her face was sucked completely into the screen they were both infinitely thankful that the image altered, Martha for the Doctor's sake more so than her own, his every muscle visibly straining at the effort it took to not do anything.

"Start from the beginning. Tell me everything you know." The Doctor was now speaking with what looked like a police man in a small, dark and dingy room while they stood over a large map on a stand.

"We started finding them about a month ago. Persons left sans visage. Heads just blank." Martha deduced that the Doctor did not yet know what had happened to Rose for he was much too calm and collected.

"Is there any sort of pattern?" The pinstripe suited Time Lord asked while he examined a file he picked up from the desk occupying the room.

"Yes, spreading out from North London. All over the City. Men, women, kids... grannies... the only REAL lead is there's been quite a large number in-"

"Florizel Street."

There was a sudden knock at the door and The Doctor and Bishop look up just as another policeman walked in, leading a girl with a blanket over her head, painfully familiar skirt and shoes peeking out the bottom.

"Found another one, sir." As the Doctor's eyes dropped to the voluminous skirt his expression froze and denial instantly shone in his eyes.

"Oh, good man, Crabtree. Here we are, Doctor." The Doctor dropped the file onto the table absentmindedly and walked forward, never taking his blank eyes off the shrouded figure. Martha held her breath, waiting for the reaction that was sure to come.

"Take a good look. See what you can deduce." They pulled the blanket off over her head and revealed the totally blank face of Rose, the Doctor's eyes widening and mouth falling slack in horror and disbelief, the barest hint of tears welling in his eyes.

Martha could hear the hitch in her Doctor's breathing and would bet everything that after this event he had had nightmares, probably stared at her just to imprint her features into his mind perfectly. She didn't realize just how right she was. It was infinitely difficult for him to see her like that again, especially now he knew what it was to live without seeing her face everyday.

"Rose." The holographic Doctor whispered brokenly as he drew within a few inches of Rose's face.

"Do you know her?" One of the men asked ignorantly.

"Know her? She-" he never finished, once again unable to define what she was to him. The Doctor remembered exactly what he was thinking, exactly how he was going to end that sentence and he couldn't help the words that slipped past his lips when his past self cut off.

"She's everything."

It was so quiet Martha barely heard but when she did she wasn't surprised as she might have been some time ago. It was blatantly clear that was how they thought of each other. It wasn't just being in love with each other. They way they acted was as if they were each others entire life and somehow Martha found herself thinking that they weren't exaggerating either.

"They found her in the street, apparently, over at Master Square, abandoned."

"That's unusual, that's the first one out in the open. Heaven help us if something happens in public tomorrow for the big day, we'll have Torchwood on our back, make no mistake."

The Doctor held his gaze, never letting it fall from Rose's face as his expression became more and more heartbroken with every word they spoke.**  
**  
But Martha knew he wouldn't just let it go as his face hardened and he spoke coldly, voice a lot lower and more threatening than it usually was. "They did what?"

"I'm sorry?"

"They left her where?" The forced calm in his voice threatened to explode at any second, lips quivering with the effort of repress his emotions.

"Just... in the street." The policeman responded simply.

His voice dropped even further. "In the street. They left her in the street. They took her face and just chucked her out and left her in the street. And as a result, that makes things-" he paused and swallowed, face growing more furious with every word. Martha waited for what she knew was coming. "-simple. Very, very simple. Do you know why?"

He finally tore his gaze away from Rose's face and took his glasses off, turning to the two men.

"No."

The Doctor's eyes blazed with fury and his face contorted in the effort it took, probably, to not reach out and hit something. "Because NOW, Detective Inspector Bishop, there is no power on this Earth that can stop me. Come on!" Without a moment's hesitation, he made for the door, the Detective Inspector following, obviously believing his words as his face frightened and intimidated.

As they rushed from the room the hologram quickly moved on. "It's not the only power source in this room." The Doctor stated, still more stiff and cold than his usual manner, now in the TV store that Rose was in before it happened.

He pointed the sonic screwdriver around the room and the static on each of the televisions gradually faded away, on each screen appearing a different face; the faces of the people who were taken by the Wire. Martha felt sick at seeing how terrified they were and frowned at the general situation silently.

They were all mouthing the same thing, a plea for help.**  
**  
"Gran?" The boy from earlier directed at one of the TV's, looking horrified.

The Doctor walked slowly by a row of them, obviously looking for only one face, and finding it. As Martha saw it amazed her that she was the only one mouthing something different in a silent scream.

Though such a young girl could be calling for her mother or father or help in general she only called one name, over and over again, eyes afraid and trusting at the same time. He knelt before the screen, looking at it with both sadness and intensity.

"I'm on my way." He told her quietly and Martha just barely registered the quiet echo from the Doctor beside her, his words though identical having a completely different meaning now.

With that the loathsome shop owner entered the shop. "What do you think you're doing?"

The Doctor was thunderous as he rounded on the man. "I want my friend restored and I think that's beyond a little backstreet electrician so tell me, who's really in charge here?"

As soon as his shout died they found themselves standing in the middle of a familiar street, the day entirely too sunny for such a miserable day. Or so Martha thought until she saw Rose standing only a few meters away, chatting with someone pleasantly, wide smile on her lips and laughter dancing in her eyes as she turned to see the Doctor watching her with immeasurably joy.

The Doctor remembered that feeling and only wished to feel it again, ideas and possibilities running constantly through his head as he gave his otherwise undivided attention to the scenes playing out in front of him. He breathed in and sighed as he watched his past self return her wide, beautiful grin and quickened his pace towards her. She laughed, so happy to see him again and he threw his arms around her enthusiastically, lifting her right off the ground in a huge hug. She clung to him while burying her face in his shoulder, both pairs of eyes closing for just a moment to relish the comfort each other's arms brought.

And as the Doctor watched he put his whole hearts into wishing and praying that he would feel that again; her tightly encased in his arms where he knew she was safe and hers securely around his back, holding him more perfectly than anyone ever had before.

Out on the street, 50's music was playing and people were out on the street dancing and talking. The Doctor and Rose watched as, in the distance, Mr. Connolly and his son walked down the street side by side. The Doctor handed Rose a glass of orange juice as people swarmed around them and they domestically clinked their glasses together, sharing another, softer smile and laughing lightly before drinking, eyes never leaving each other.

**A/N Dunno if I really did this episode justice but I really hope so. It was a tad rushed and I didn't have time to go over it to see my mistake so I really hope there aren't too many. I'm away at a medieval festival for two days now so it'll be a few before the next update. I really hope this one was okay and you all enjoyed it and please keep giving me feedback, I'm loving it so far.**

**Please review!  
Metal.**


	10. the Impossible Planet to the Satan Pit

**A/N I'm back! One week later! :D Thanks for the reviews, they are awesome so please don't stop. Again, these two are some of my favourite episodes so I really hope I do this chapter well. I know I skipped a lot but I really wanted to fit both these in the same chapter so sorry if I missed any really good bits. It also has yet another bit that wasn't in the actual episode (always tell me if I should stop with this, I get a bit carried away sometimes :P) Please enjoy! (Dunno if it's any good because it was impossibly long and I rushed some bits again because I really just wanted it to get finished)**

**NOT CHECKED OVER SO SORRY FOR ANY MISTAKES, I WAS PRETTY TIRED WHILE WRITING IT AND IT WAS TOO LONG TO PROOF READ! :P**

**Disclaimer: I own no rights to Doctor Who and I freely admit it so please don't sue me! XD**

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Chapter 10: the Impossible Planet – the Satan Pit

They went from standing in a sunny, happy street to squashed inside some sort of cupboard and Martha immediately tensed as the Doctor had the same reaction. Though he was probably upset by a memory for her there was something about the place they were now seeing, like nothing good would ever come of it, the air holding a certain sense of foreboding even though they were technically inside the TARDIS.

She lightened up slightly when the Doctor and Rose stepped outside the doors of the holographic TARDIS, looking up at the misleadingly small blue box, the Doctor running a worried hand over her paneling. Martha took note that though the two images seemed to be in good enough spirits her Doctor stayed tense and blank beside her, fearful eyes glued to Rose in a new way. Somehow she thought that this, more than anything else, might be a turning point for their relationship, even though the past few adventures were intensifying their bond as they went along; hugs becoming longer, tighter and more frequent, personal space becoming rarer, as well as carefree smiles.

"I don't know what's wrong with her, she's sort of queasy. Indigestion, like she didn't want to land." The Doctor said talking about the TARDIS as he looked at his quiet ship worriedly.

Rose's face started off dead serious but a smile crept onto her face for the longer she talked. "Oh, if you think there's gonna be trouble, we could always get back inside and go somewhere else." They glanced at each other and simultaneously burst into laughter, Martha joining in under her breath at the absurd notion the Doctor would ever leave somewhere the TARDIS deliberately took him. She tried to hide her amusement as she didn't think the Doctor, in his current condition, would approve.

A thousand thoughts ran through his head as he watched the two of them move from the room, leaving the TARDIS behind in a fatal, yet unavoidable, mistake and cringed as he thought about what happened on that god forsaken planet. He had falsely hoped not to have to relive these memories, or for that fact, any memories after that point, because he honestly wasn't sure if he could handle it all, not really having a choice in the matter.

He remembered how scared he was back then; so scared that he was close, so very _very _close, to breaching the biggest taboo subject and admitting his feelings for her. He remembered thinking about the possibility of never seeing that beautiful pink and yellow face again and remembered the feeling of his hearts breaking when he let go of that rope with no way back to her, hearing her voice calling to him for a millisecond before his communicator dropped out… he remembered the prophecy.

He swallowed and didn't dare to look down at Martha, at that point not wanting any further reminders that Rose wasn't there with him anymore, that this time he actually wouldn't see her face again. _Stop it, _he thought to himself firmly, letting his old way of thinking over power him though now he was formulating so many different ideas inside his head he was beginning to think the impossible wasn't so.

"Welcome to hell." Rose read off the wall of the room in which they now stood, her attempt at a scary voice making Martha giggle and even the Doctor cracked a miniscule half smile.

"Oh, it's not THAT bad!" The Doctor protested playfully as he was looking in the opposite direction. Rose laughed at him and poked him in the ribs, pointing to the writing on the wall.

"No, over there."

The Doctor stared, his smile disappearing in a wash of confused worry. "Hold on." They both walked over to it and bent down, the Doctor bringing up a hand to lightly touch the undecipherable symbols. "What does that say?"

Martha's eyes widened. When even the Doctor didn't know that was a bad sign. _Run! _She thought, only half kidding.

The Doctor peered closely at the ancient text obviously trying hard to understand it and frustrated that he couldn't.

"That's weird. It won't translate."

"But I thought the TARDIS translated everything," Martha turned questioningly to the Doctor for an answer as she again repeated with Rose word for word. He didn't turn to her, only blinked, which she took to mean she wouldn't be getting an answer and she highly doubted she would for anything until this particular adventure was over. He didn't quite look like he was there with her, eyes glazed and body coiled tensely. "Writing as well. We should see English."

"Exactly. If that's not working, then it means this writing is old. Very old. Impossibly old."

"We should have left then and there… but I was too curious." As he spoke his teeth were gritted and self-hate drenched his words. "I can never just let it go."

She frowned up at him, knowing it wouldn't make a difference but saying what she was thinking anyway. "It wasn't your fault Doctor." He didn't say anything more and she meekly, with less enthusiasm than before, turned back to watch.

"We should find out who's in charge." He walked over to another door, most certainly not the one that lead back to the TARDIS, and Martha couldn't help but think for just a second that the Doctor was just a tiny bit right for blaming himself this time. _They should have left. "_We've gone beyond the reach of the TARDIS' knowledge. Not a good move."

He looked like he was going to continue talking but the scene shifted out of focus before the words left his fast moving lips and they were now in a different room of the same building or ship or whatever it was.

The room was flooded with an eerie red light as an overhead window opened gratingly, a large and ominous black hole right above them in space. The Doctor and Rose stood beside Martha and the Doctor and all four of them looked up, amazed, watching the light being sucked into it, Martha's Doctor's expression burning without as of yet unexplained anger and hate as he glowered at the hole.

"That's a black hole," Rose stated obviously, in shock of their proximity. This time Martha couldn't blame someone for saying something stupid, she'd do the exact same thing.

"But that's impossible." The Doctor couldn't help but think that he wished he was still that ignorant. He wished that was the most impossible situation that he had ever come across.

"I did warn you," a new voice called at them. It was only then that Martha could tear her eyes away from the black hole long enough to realize they were surrounded by other people who looked like they could all use a shower or two. _Oh god, I'm so shallow. _She shook her head to expel the inappropriate thought and listened closely.

"We're standing under a black hole." The Doctor was still looking up in wide-eyed amazement.

"We're in orbit," an older woman explained like it was perfectly normal.

"But we can't be."

"You can see for yourself. We're in orbit," the same woman said again, pointing to a scene that displayed the information that proved her point.

The Doctor looked over at her pointedly, still not willing to believe it. "But we CAN'T be."

She looked back at him, annoyed and not intimidated. _Oh, I like her, _Martha thought with a smile. It was nice to see someone willing to stand up to the infuriatingly confident Time Lord. "This lump of rock is suspended in perpetual geostationary orbit around that black hole without falling in. Discuss."

Rose looked at her, gaze flicking between the two of them. "And that's bad, yeah?" Martha rolled her eyes a bit; as soon as she saw the black hole that should have been obvious.

The Doctor's face was set in what looked to be ending up in a permanent frown. "That doesn't cover it. A black hole's a dead star, it collapses in on itself, in and in and in until the matter's so dense and tight it starts to pull everything else in too. Nothing in the universe can escape it. Light, gravity, time, everything just gets pulled inside and crushed." He explained, back to talking to just Rose as they stood side by side, leaning into each other infinitesimally.

"So, they can't be in orbit. We should be pulled right in."

"We should be dead." The Doctor finished her sentence, identical expressions marring their minutes ago carefree faces.

"And yet," the same woman spoke up yet again. "-here we are, beyond the laws of physics. Welcome on board." She finished only half sarcastically.

"But if there's no atmosphere out there, what's that?" Martha and both the Doctor's looked up to were she was pointing, seeing clouds being pulled rapidly towards the black hole. _And once again she asks the right question, _Martha and the Doctor thought together unknowingly, though with distinctly different inner tones.

"Stars breaking up, gas clouds. We have whole solar systems being ripped apart above our heads before falling into that thing."

"So, a bit worse than a storm then." Rose stated simply, looking casually about the room.

"Just a bit." The woman agreed.

"Just a bit, yeah." They watched as the base began so shake and before it faded out once again Martha saw the Doctor quickly grasp Rose's hand and wrist tightly in an automatic reflex at make sure she was okay. She vaguely saw his grip tighten as Rose was thrown one more step away from him.

Next thing she saw was the Doctor and Rose looking at each other as everyone left the room, their eyes intent on each other. One of the aliens she had seen wondering about exited, leaving them alone.

"Close Door 1." A mechanical voice rang out stoically. The Doctor walked over and leant against the center panel, hands in pockets, right next to Rose who was facing the opposite direction.

He spoke quietly, regretfully as he glanced down at her again. "I've trapped you here." Evident apology in his words.

"No." Rose denied the apology quickly, looking back at him. "Don't worry about me." She gave him a tiny smile, the half-hearted expression dropping off as the base shook again.

When she next spoke her voice was stilted with nerves and hesitance as she looked at the madness looming over them. "Okay, we're on a planet that shouldn't exist, under a black hole and no way out." The Doctor's gaze pierced through her intently, never leaving her face as her eyes met his, making Martha feel as though she were intruding on a very private moment. "Yeah, I've changed my mind. Start worrying about me." She laughed a completely fake laugh, as if to cover a sob though her eyes were dry.

The Doctor pled with his yes for her not to blame him even though he blamed himself and he pulled her securely into a tight hug, arms wrapped fully around her back and practically squashing her against his chest as she clutched back at him with equal desperation.

Martha wondered what it felt like to be so close to him and wondered if she would ever get the chance, telling herself the answer was no as soon as the notion popped into her head. She was just a friend and that definitely wasn't the type of contact two "just-friends" shared. The scene stayed there for over another minute, just to illustrate the fact that neither pulled away any time soon, staying in each other's arms for an amount of time Martha would never know.

The Doctor watched and longed to lock his arms around her again just like that, remembering how blissful it was to have her in his arms even in such a disastrous situation. He remembered that moment and that night with perfect clarity. Martha may have seen that but what she didn't see, nor would he ever tell her, that after an unmoving ten minutes they had moved to the one bedroom the crew had been able to spare them. He wouldn't tell her that he had held her in his arms as she slept and quietly spoke to her in her unconsciousness in Gallifreyian, something he hadn't spoken _to _anyone in years, though even Rose wouldn't remember that. He wouldn't tell her that that night was the first time in decades, even centuries, that he had actually _slept _with anyone, never being comfortable enough to have someone so near him while he was unaware.

He barely noticed that the scene had changed, though Martha was watching with rapt attention. The last two people of the crew once again left the room, leaving the Doctor and Rose alone a second time.

"I've seen films and things, yeah - they say black holes are like gateways to another universe." As the words were out of the innocent blonde's mouth Martha took note that her Doctor straightened slightly in his place, breath hitching, the look in his eyes telling her that another piece of some sort of impossible puzzle had just slipped into place in his mind.

"Not that one," Rose's Doctor responded, looking up at it intently. "It just eats."

"Long way from home," wistfulness crept into her tone as the Doctor glanced worriedly at her. He looked back up at the still open ceiling and stretched out his arm, pointing.

"Go that way, turn right, keep going for um... about five hundred years, then you'll reach the Earth." Rose took out her phone and sighed deeply, pressing its buttons.

"No signal. That's the first time we've gone out of range. Mind you, even if I could... what would I tell her? Can you build another TARDIS?" She laughed half-heartedly again, obviously knowing the impossibility of what she just asked.

"They were grown, not built." Martha's eyebrows rose in surprise. If she had known that she might have been able to adjust to the idea that the ship was alive a bit more easily. "And with my own planet gone we're kind of stuck."

Rose tried to be consoling, though obviously spirits so low that it didn't work very well. "Well, it could be worse. This lot said they'd give us a lift. "

"And then what?" He finally looked down at his companion again, pulling his captivated eyes away from the black hole that obviously fascinated him.

"I don't know. Find a planet, get a job, live a life, same as the rest of the universe." She responded, like it was the easiest thing in the world when both she and Martha knew it was one of the worst things one could do to the Doctor. Martha finally felt able to smile when the mood finally lightened, though with the turn the conversation took her old jealousy began to rise.

"Pfft, I'd have to settle down." The Doctor looked disgusted at the very words, his face set in a comical sneer. "In a house or something, a proper house with – with – with – with doors and things. Carpets! Me! Living in a house!" His voice rose in pitch the more horrified he became.

Rose laughed genuinely at him and he smiled at her, obviously accomplishing what he set out to do. "Now that, that is terrifying." He concluded.

Ro0se cupped a hand around her mouth and spoke to him in sing-song teasingly. "You'd have to get a mortgage." Martha laughed along with her as the Doctor's face fell even more, setting in shocked disbelief and denial.

"No."

"Oh yes."

"I am dying. That's it. I am dying, it is all over." He shook his head in over the top denial before settling down just a bit.

"What about me? I'd have to get one too. I don't know, could-" Martha's breath caught in her throat at what she thought Rose was about to suggest. When one really thought about it, it wasn't that different from living on the TARDIS, though at the same time was. It was a smaller space and it suggested permanence. It wasn't travelling or adventures they'd be committing to do together, it was life, normal, human, domestic life. "- could be the same one, we could both," she stumbled over the words, not quite able to get them out as he looked into her eyes intensely, waiting. I don't know, share or not, you know, whatever."

The Doctor nodded, clearly feeling slightly awkward. But Martha stowed away the information that he didn't disagree, nor did he look particular against the idea, just having to talk about it.

They quickly stumbled past the subject. "I don't know, we'll sort something out-"

"Anyway."

"We'll see," Rose finished, laughing it off as they looked away from each other, embarrassed. They sat in silence for a few moments, probably the longest they had ever gone without even glancing at each other.

"I promised Jackie I'd always take you back home." The Doctor spoke much quieter than before, back to regret and remorse.

"Everyone leaves home in the end," Rose responded placating.

"Not to end up stuck here." He murmured back.

Rose still didn't look at him as she counteracted his comment. "Yeah, but stuck with you - that's not so bad." He looked over at her in a mingling of surprise and hope.

"Yeah?"

Rose finally looked at him and was quick to reassure him sincerely. "Yes." He smiled gently at her, full of affection and gratitude, the conversation having breached the topic of their relationship quite a few times. Martha was surprised that neither had gone running scared yet and the Doctor remembered just how much her statement had meant to him, still meant to him.

"Mr. Jefferson! I want maximum systems." The dark man from earlier spoke, obviously the captain.

His voice faded as he walked away, Rose and the Doctor stood facing one another, now in another part of the base, the Doctor now dressed in a fluorescent orange space suit, cradling his helmet in the crook of his arm.

"Where are you going then?" Martha asked in an attempt to make conversation, already knowing it was pointless, the Doctor not even glimpsing down at her.

"Oxygen, nitro-balance, gravity. It's ages since I wore one of these." He said in a seemingly inappropriate excitement.

Rose reached gently forward and tugged affectionately on the front of the suit, trying to unsuccessfully smile. "I want that spacesuit back in one piece, you got that?" Her voice wavered as she held in tears.

The Doctor smiled down at her. "Yes sir." He slipped the helmet over his head, their eyes never breaking the gaze on each other. Martha wished anyone, ever, would look at her like that, with even a fraction to that emotion.

"It's funny, 'cause people back home think that space travel's gonna be all whizzing about and teleports and anti-gravity. But it's not, is it?" Her voice broke again under the strain of shared emotions. "It's tough."

"I'll see you later." His voice was steady and confident, though he didn't smile this time.

She blinked slowly at him and dropped the stare for a millisecond, grinning sweetly at him. "Not if I see you first." A breath of laugh escaping her in mid-sentence as she caused the return of his smile. She pulled his head down and tenderly kissed the outside of his helmet, directing it at his forehead.

The scene changed, taking a couple of seconds before a new one presented itself. Martha was now watching the real Doctor, stunned by the look of utter contentment this memory brought him. Finally he spoke, though she wasn't sure if it was to her or himself.

"I should have said it." He didn't elaborate; he didn't say it again, just crossed his arms and blinked, making Martha feel extremely impatient.

They were standing next two an extremely nervous Rose holding a comm. link with some of the crew around her as the Ood spoke in haunting voices, three walking up towards them, eyes burning a vicious red that Martha looked frantically away from, fear settling deep inside.

"Some may call him Abaddon. Some may call him Kroptor. Some may call him Satan." Martha felt her eyes widen and she gaped. They had met _Satan! _

_No way._

"Or Lucifer."

"Captain, it's the Ood. They're out of control!" One of the frightened men called over the link.

"Doctor, are they telling the truth… was it the devil?" Martha asked him nervously, not sure what to believe.

He shrugged helplessly. "I still don't know," was all he responded with, clearly still not in the mood to talk as another shift began, Rose standing still, shaking in what they assumed was fear as she still held the communicator up to her mouth, voice and breath quivering in desperation.

"I can't get any reply, just nothing. I keep trying, but it's-" the device in her hand crackled and the Doctor's voice, thankfully sounded through the small box, Rose sighing in great relief along with Martha who had tensed at Rose's worrying.

"No! Sorry, I'm fine. Still here!" He spoke frantically to calm Rose.

Rose got an annoyed look on her face and her voice was hard, with a playful sort of anger. "You could've said, you stupid b-"

"Wow!" Martha exclaimed, eyebrows rising impossibly high. "Didn't know she had it in her." She saw the Doctor crack a grin uncontrollably.

"wow, careful!" The Doctor responded in the same tone Martha had just used. "Anyway, it's both of us, me and Ida. Hello! But the seal opened up. It's gone. All we've got left is this chasm."

"How deep is it?" Another voice joined the invisible conversation and Martha shook her head lightly, trying not to think too much about who all those people were, as it seemed she was never going to get an explanation.

"Can't tell. It looks like it goes on forever."

"The pit is open." Rose mumbled warily, eyes narrowing. "That's what the voice said." When the conversation went back around to the creature Rose joined in once again, her voice once again scared and shaking.

"It said 'Satan'."

"Come on, Rose. Keep it together." His voice was quiet, obviously wishing he could speak with her privately, no doubt wishing he was there to hug it better Martha couldn't help but think, not sure if her feelings were of resentfulness or uncharacteristically coo-ing over how sweet they were together.

"Is there no such thing?" There was no reply. "Doctor?" He still had reply and she shifted on the spot nervously. This presented yet another time Martha wished she wasn't so sympathetic towards the man standing next to her because she'd love to whack him one for making the young girl so freaked out.

"Doctor, tell me there's no such thing."

Martha never heard whether or not he answered as the focus left, though she doubted it.

"Okay, we're in. Bring us up," the now familiar woman's voice came over the comm. As Rose and two men listened and smiled in relief making it easy for Martha to figure out what was going on... for now.

"Ascension in Three, two, one." The lights flickered out and everyone was silent, Rose's expression changed drastically in the space of a second, looking desperately around the room and looking to be about to scream at the man who had just spoken before the same eerie, evil voice from before sounded out.

"This is the Darkness. This is my domain." Martha's attention was drawn to the screen that flickered on behind them, showing the tentacle-y alien's standing together.

"You little things that live in the light... clinging to your feeble Suns, which die in the…" she was annoyed as her attention was snatched back when one of the men stated something entirely obvious and went back to watching quickly, not noticing that her Doctor had lagged behind. His posture was even more stiff, eyes shining in anger, regret and denial the more the Ood/Beast spoke. She didn't see his arms ball into fists or the dangerous quake that ran through his entire body. She wasn't paying attention when she should have been.

"Only the Darkness remains." The conversation went on, the boys asking stupid questions. It wasn't until the Doctor's voice rang out, talking to the evil that Martha's head shot round to land on the Time Lord beside her. Her eyes widened in horror and she stepped towards him calling out his name. "Doctor?"

The sight that greeted her, had it been anyone else, would not be all that disturbing. He was not sobbing hysterically, nor were there any visible tears at all. He didn't look murderous, he didn't look violent. But it was the beginning of the inevitably massive breakdown that he had earned and Martha wasn't sure how to handle him when he let out his emotions in anyway, so for now she stared and waited.

Barely two meters from her the Time Lord was hunched into a crouched position, still on his feet but face covered by his hands that slide through his hair, head so low it was almost between his knees.

She didn't know what set it off, maybe it was something still to come because he knew it was coming and was preparing himself but she couldn't leave him so she paced forward again and rested her hand on his shoulder, squeezing in a silent question.

"Just leave me alone," he whispered in a moan to her, still stiffening under her touch. She removed the hand as if she were burnt but didn't step away, hoping her presence lent him some sort of support.

"You know nothing. All of you, so small." The voice was bating them now, obvious to Martha and the Doctor but everyone else too wrapped up in their fear to realize it. "The Captain, so scared of command. The soldier, haunted by the eyes of his wife. The scientist, still running from daddy. The little boy who lied. The virgin," he paused here, a pause one might hear in a play or a movie used for dramatic effect. Martha heard a quiet moan of protest escape the Doctor at the beast's next words but she couldn't tear her eyes away from Rose to see her reaction, a morbid fascination coming over her. "And the lost girl, so far away from home. The valiant child who will die in battle so very soon."

Rose's breathing visibly hitched and she brought up the communicator again, pleading helplessly with her Doctor. "Doctor, what does it mean?" Her voice once again quivered and Martha saw how hard this whole adventure had been on her.

"Rose, don't listen," the Doctor said, voice firm but not harsh, quiet like his was whispering it to her directly. But beneath the surface the same Rose had hidden in his tone that had dropped dramatically.

"What does it mean?" She pleaded again and Martha was sure that was one of the first times she had ever witnessed Rose not listening to the Doctor the first time around, questioning and needed more than he had given her.

The aliens blinked at them menacingly, Martha only just able to see the screen still from her position beside the still hunched Doctor. "You will die... and I will live." She heard a feral growl come from her right and had a split second to grab the Doctor's arm as he listed himself and lunged towards the image, reason gone from his eyes as fury burnt within.

"Doctor you can't do anything." She had to shout the words to get him to listen, his struggles lessening but his muscles tense under her grip. "It's not real, not anymore… Rose isn't dead Doctor. Remember what you told me; she's with her family, happy." It seemed like the right thing to say as he replaced, not turning to face her but stepping back and re-establishing his previous position stoically, not saying a word or moving again, expression only a bit harder than before, the only indication the minor breakdown had ever happened.

When she looked back she found the TARDIS had transported them down to the surface with the woman and the Doctor next to a gaping pit in the ground.

"We're running out of air with no way back. It's the only thing we can do. Even if it's the last thing we ever achieve."

"I'll get back." The Doctor looked at her with such determination Martha could almost hear the words before he said them. "Rose is up there." The TARDIS seemed to want them to hear something, fast forwarding to stay on the surface but voices going over the skip from the other group still on the base.

"Doctor? Are you there? Doctor? Ida? Can you hear me?"

"The comms are still down. I can patch them through the central desk and boost the signal. Just give me a minute."

Next thing they knew they stood in pitch blackness, the other Doctor hanging, suspended in nothingness. "What the hell?" Martha muttered to herself, frowning at the odd change, taking only a few moments to remember the pit and figure they were now inside it. _Why would she be showing us this? _

"What about you?" The woman's voice sounded over what must be a communicator in the suit.

"I believe - I believe I haven't seen everything, I don't know. It's funny, isn't it? The things you make up, the rules. If that thing had said it came from beyond the universe, I'd believe it, but before the universe, impossible; doesn't fit my rule. Still, that's why I keep travelling. To be proved wrong. Thank you, Ida." Martha felt tears spring unnecessarily to her eyes as she figured was about to happen as the Doctor reached for the loop connecting him to the line.

"I had to see," her Doctor whispered surprisingly.

"I know," Martha responded in an insignificant reassurance.

"Don't go!"

"If they get back in touch... if you talk to Rose, just tell her." And sudden his comment earlier made perfect sense to her; what he should have said. She wondered how different thing would have been if he had, knowing he was wondering the same thing.

"Tell her I-" she could see the words forming on his lips, no sound given to them as they whispered silently in the empty air. She swallowed heavily and wished more than anything that he had said it; maybe they both would have been happier, at least for a little while.

If she had any doubt left it was gone as the words slipped from beside her, obviously not for her own ears and therefore choosing to ignore them.

"Oh, she knows." He fell and as he did so they heard Rose's voice ringing out. "Doctor? Are you there? Doctor, Ida? Can you hear me?" After that there was silence for a few seconds before they were taken back up at the base and Martha knew without the Doctor explaining that he had heard her pleading words, only seconds too late for him to respond. She could almost hear her Doctor's hearts break beside her and had to discretely brush a tear from the corner of her eye. How could anything be so unfair?

"Are you there, Doctor?" Rose still called out hopefully, probably thinking he was taking a while like last time, her voice anticipating something that wouldn't come.

"He's gone." Her face fell into a grimace of denial and she almost seemed to stumble back a step before stopping herself. Martha could barely comprehend getting such information after all they had gone through, when they only had each other to cling to.

"What do you mean, "he's gone"?" Rose asked, obviously not quite ready to believe the meaning of the words which they all knew, the men looking at her sympathetically but not really getting it at all.

"He fell. Into the pit. And I don't know how deep it is - miles and miles and miles."

Her voice broke for what seemed like the thousandth time since they arrived on the planet but this time it held a certain finality to it that made it seem as though it would never be repaired. "But, what do you mean "he fell"?"

"I couldn't stop him. He said your name." Martha knew it. The Doctor knew it. Rose knew it. It was a sad consolation to make up for such an event but they also knew that, while believing him to be dead, hearing the words he would have said from another person's lips would have been excruciating. Because she did already know and that knowledge was better left unsaid unless she could hear it straight from the source. Martha watched as she struggled to hold back the wave of tears as she was silent and ignored pitiful and useless "sorries", shock and grief bringing her to a complete stand still.

After a speech no one was listening to a man announced the inevitable. "We're leaving." Martha, n a sort of shock of her own, barely registered the fact that her Doctor had crept forward and now stood directly in front of the breaking Rose obviously feeling the need to help and do something, though being completely unable to do so.

Rose turned to the man, inadvertently turning away from the Doctor and stared at him in fierce determination, though her voice was still weak.

"I'm not going."

"Rose, there's space for you." _That's not it, what an idiot. _"They really didn't get it did they?" she asked rhetorically.

The Doctor looked up and met her eyes for the first time in quite a while. "No one did." She got the silent message, harsh though it was she let it go knowing he was only protecting the both of them and the intimate privacy of their relationship. Even though she was seeing all this there was so much more she didn't know, would never know or see and he was making sure she understood that, that even from what she saw, there was still so much more to the two of them than that.

"No, I'm gonna wait for the Doctor, just like he waited for me."

"Go Rose," the Doctor almost silently whispered ineffectively.

"I'm sorry, but he's dead." Martha scowled at the man in disgust. That had to be the worst possible thing he could have said, she saw Rose's eyes harden just a bit at his words.

"You don't know him.'Cause he's not." Tears became even more evident now, though they never fell, showing just how strong the small girl really was. "I'm telling you, he's - he's not and even if he was, how could I leave him? All on his own, all the way down there? No. I'm gonna stay." She kept quiet and didn't comment, taking note that this was probably the first time the Doctor had ever heard this, especially given the amazed, awe struck expression his whole face radiated at her words; he obviously hadn't been told about this.

"Take me back to the planet." Rose's outraged voice rang out, confusing them both as they both found themselves back down with the Doctor, walking along the dirt.

"Take me BACK!" She yelled furiously.

"Or what?"

"Or I'll shoot." The voices faded and this time they both were left with wide, gaping mouths. The way Rose adored the Doctor, agreed with everything he said, and she was threatening someone with some sort of gun or weapon. _Was she really that desperate to stay behind with him when, as far as she knew, he was most definitely dead? _Martha couldn't quite get her brain to comprehend such an unwavering loyalty and closeness… It was irrational, verging on suicidal and somehow; totally _them_.

The voices faded to let through the real scene, the Doctor now conversing with a huge, typical devil-like monster that raged harmlessly at him, a large rock secure in his grip as he stood near one or two small vases.

"If I destroy your prison, your body is destroyed. Your mind with it." He swung the rock over his head, ready to bring it crashing down on the vase but stopped mid-air, dropping it innocuously to the ground.

A soft tone of realization overtook him then. "But then you're clever enough to use this whole system against me. If I destroy this planet, I destroy the gravity field. The rocket - the rocket loses protection and falls into the black hole. I'll have to sacrifice Rose." He had a look of mild disgust on his face as the Beast laughed mirthlessly in his face.

"So, that's the trap. Or the test or the final judgment, I don't know. But if I kill you, I kill her." Even without the tenor in his voice Martha knew that just wasn't a possibility and never would be. It didn't matter what he himself had to sacrifice, if it meant protecting Rose he would do it. The Doctor cracked the smallest of smiles as though he had heard her thoughts, as if maybe she finally understood, just a little.

The next time he spoke it was with much more of his usual exuberance. "Except that implies - in this big grand scheme of Gods and Devils, that she's just a victim. But I've seen a lot of this universe. I've seen fake gods and bad gods and demi-gods and would-be gods and out of all that, out of that whole pantheon, if I believe in one thing, just one thing..." His eyes widened and his face was set with a passion and belief Martha had never seen before, on anyone let alone the emotionally unstable man she was being to really get to know. Her breathing caught and her heart stuttered in her chest as he spoke his last words with the greatest conviction, like he really was speaking about his own personal deity.

"I believe in _her._"

His voice echoed as the image changed back to the rocket, back into Rose's memories.

The younger man beside Rose spoke regretfully. "The planet's gone. I'm sorry." He muttered once again when he turned to Rose.

"Accelerate. I did my best. But hey, first Human Beings to fall inside a black hole, how about that? History." Rose closed her eyes as they held on tight as the rocket shook violently, though her grip seemed unwilling, like she genuinely wished that she was down in that black hole with him, like she would rather be dead with him than alive without him. They all had their eyes screwed shut, ready for impact, when it stopped and silence fell.

"What happened?" Rose asked first, leaning heavily into the side of the rocket as it turned.

The captain frowned in utter confusion. "We're turning. We're turning around. We're turning away!"

With that what Martha imagined was the best sound of Rose's life sprang though the rocket cheerfully.

"Sorry about the hijack, Captain. This is the good ship TARDIS." Rose's mouth dropped open and her eyes lit up as Martha laughed in happiness that they could both stop with the angst and be together again, after what seemed like a stupid amount of time.

"Now, first thing's first - have you got a Rose Tyler on board?"

Rose pointlessly raised her hand and spoke quickly, overjoyed at his voice and knowing he was alive and okay. "I'm here! It's me! Oh, my God!" She laughed and covered her face, obviously giddy with relief, Martha imagining the Doctor with a similar expression on his face at hearing her voice again.

Just as she thought about the Doctor's reaction they were standing inside the wonderfully familiar TARDIS and Rose threw open the door, the Doctor looking up and smiling. They ran to each other quickly and without hesitation, the Doctor gathering Rose up into his arms and lifting her clean off the floor, she feet dangling and swinging to entangle with his. They both giggled, grins never leaving their faces.

Martha smiled in happiness, it just didn't seem right watching all these things happening with them always apart. Even her, who still wasn't completely over her jealousy issues, knew that they just didn't quite work right without the other, they were a package deal.

Martha realized the Doctor had been silent for a long while and looked up at him to see a tiny content smile on his face. She raised an eyebrow questioningly at him, hoping for an answer this time, knowing that he knew what she was asking.

"Martha… it's about to get bad. I need to think about these last times when I can smile because it won't last much longer and then you'll have a whole knew Time Lord to deal with." She knew coming from anyone else it would sound pompous and dramatized but he was simply warning her, with complete honesty, what was going to happen and she nodded in understanding. The information she had wanted from the beginning was drawing closer and she had to be ready for it… whatever _it _was.

"What do you think it was? Really?"

"I think... we beat it. That's good enough for me."

"It said I was gonna die in battle." Fear crept back into Rose's voice as she watched him for comfort.

The Doctor caught her eye. "Then it lied." His voice was steady, confident making her smile up at him – That was all she needed to reassure her. Martha gulped; his confidence was obviously misplaced from what they knew now.

A few more words were exchanged before the big question was asked.

"Oh," they shared yet another private, coy glance. "The stuff of legend."

And they were.

**A/N Okay so how was it? Yes, no, okay, terrible, despicable, an abomination? :P I have some things to tell you about actually so **

**PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING: In the next chapter I'm doing something a teeny bit different. I am cutting out "Love & Monsters" because there really are no significant Doctor/Rose scenes and instead I am putting in one or two scenes from the Doctor Who book "the Stone Rose" (those of you who have read it will probably know the one particular one I'm talking about). If you haven't read it then you're in for a bit of a surprise I suppose :D But don't worry, you'll like it :D **

**Also, I was wondering if you all wanted me to stop the memories after "Doomsday" or if you wanted me to include "Runaway Bride." I personally think "Doomsday" is the better place to stop but if everyone wants "Runaway Bride" to be included I'll be happy to do it for you.**

**Please review and tell me what you think about the chapter, if my idea for the next chapter is okay, and which memory-ending you'd prefer. Thanks!**

**Metal.**


	11. Fear Her to the Stone Rose

**A/N ****Hope you like the book scenes because it might be a bit confusing to some if you don't know the whole story, but I can't wait to hear what the people who haven't read it think… I stared at the page and then laughed hysterically for about ten minutes after I read the last one. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Happy reading everyone! (and like always, please review!)**

**I'm not happy with the "Fear Her" scenes at all but I'm pretty happy with how "the Stone Rose" turned out.**

**ALSO! I'VE GOT A FEW REVIEWS IN THE PAST CHAPTER OR TWO ABOUT IT BEING A REUNION FIC OR NOT. AS A REMINDER, I'M DOING BOTH! SO THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE DEAD SET AGAINST THE REUNION YOU JUST STOP READING WHEN I SAY THAT CHAPTER****IS THE LAST BEFORE THE REUNION.**

**P.S. I was going to do "The Stone Rose" first but I wanted to save **_**that **_**scene for last so I could end the chapter on a totally awesome note! Hope you guys who haven't read the book love it, it'll probably end up in you wanting to read it… at least if I hadn't read it and I read this then I'd want to. Meh, whatever.**

**Disclaimer: I own no rights to Doctor Who, this is only harmless creativity.**

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Chapter 10 The Stone Rose – Fear Her

"30th Olympia." Martha looked up to see a huge banner spread between two houses to cross the street, the Doctor explaining as they walked beneath it.

They were on a normal enough street. Martha and the Doctor walked a few paces behind the other two, the casual stroll much more relaxed than anything else from the past few hours.  
_  
_Rose looked ecstatic and linked their arms, pulling him closer and skipping slightly to keep up. "No way! Why didn't I think of this, that's great." Both Doctor's beamed at her enthusiasm and Martha wondered if she ever lost that or if she ever disappointed him. From the looks of things, it would seem not.

"Only seems like yesterday a few naked Greek blokes were tossing a discus about, wrestling each other in the sand with crowds stood about, begging - no, wait a minute, that was Club Med." He laughed uncontrollably at his own joke while nudging Rose who was now looking at him as if he was insane, which of course he was, but more so than usual. "Just in time for the opening doo dah – ceremony tonight, I thought you'd like that. Last one they had in London was dynamite. Wembley, 1948; I loved it so much I went back and watched it all over again. Fellow carrying the torch, lovely chap, what was his-"

As the Doctor continued to yap Martha was paying close attention to Rose whose eyes were trained on a post littered with pinned up posters, bold print saying 'MISSING' across them all with pictures of children. Her stomach dropped and she started feeling as though she should give up trying to look for nice, happy memories in between all the disastrous ones, it seemed Rose and the Doctor were even more jeopardy friendly than what was usual in the Doctor's travelling.

"Mark? John? Mark? Legs like pipe cleaners but strong as a whippet." The Doctor continued, oblivious as he sorted out his muddled thoughts. Martha relished in seeing this side to him because it was extremely rare that he showed it anymore.

"Doctor-" Rose called out. She had said in plenty of times in the past memories but the more he heard it the more the Doctor wished he would hear it again. When on Earth he would constantly, pointlessly, chase flashed of blonde hair or a pink sweater. Sitting alone in the TARDIS he would fruitlessly wish that when he stepped outside her doors that she would be there waiting and she would call his name just like she always had; even when the TARDIS disobeyed his co-ordinates and he didn't know where they had gone his hearts would speed up and his breath would be stuck until they reached the outside and there were no zeppelins in the sky.

"You should really look." Rose called after being ignored a couple more times, now standing directly in front of the post.

"Do you know those - those things?" He finally walked over to her and Martha couldn't help but laugh at his next sentence. "Nobody else in this entire galaxy's ever even bothered to make edible ball bearings. Genius."

The Doctor looked down at her defensively. "What? They are!"

"Right, okay, sure they are." Martha managed through her faded giggles.

The Doctor in the image took in the posters and his expression turned serious. "What's taking them, do you think?" Martha's thoughts took a slightly surprised turn. It was very abnormal for the Doctor to be the one asking what someone else thought. Usual, at least with Martha, he would simply figure it out, let her help with the small stuff unless he was physically unable, and then tell her what to do. It was then, when she realized he was starting to put even more trust into Rose, that she began wondering just how long they had travelled together. The amount of adventures they had seen against the amount that had probably been left out probably made up at least a couple of years, not to mention the fact that they had yet to finish. The only way she knew it wasn't a huge number of years was that Rose hadn't aged all that much. She wondered what the girl looked like now; if she still smiled as brightly or spoke so enthusiastically.

"Snatching children from a thoroughly ordinary street like this. Why's it so cold? Is something reducing the temperature?" The Doctor continued, looking down the street in search of anything unusual.

They continued talking and trying to figure it out when something equal parts funny and revealing happened.

"Aren't you a beautiful boy," Rose spoke while approaching a small cat in the yard. The Doctor, not watching her swung around with a big smile.

"Thanks! I'm experimenting with back-combing… Oh," he finished when he saw and registered the cat. Martha burst out laughing, clutching her stomach. The Doctor shot her an annoyed look and crossed his arms in irritation.

_You couldn't just skip that could you? _He mentally asked the TARDIS. He felt her hum out her version of laughter and huffed even louder, pouting as the two girls continued chuckling at him.

"Oh, be quiet Martha Jones, I'm sure you've done worse than that." She just smiled at him in good humor, knowing instinctively he wasn't really upset with her. Though she was laughing, and definitely found it hysterical, she also noticed how serious the Doctor in the memory was, the disappointment potent and earnest. She felt a twinge of sympathy, for once Rose was being the oblivious one.

They watched almost absentmindedly, slightly bored, as the rest of the scene panned out, getting slightly more interesting when a… well Martha really couldn't tell what it was, attacked Rose. She rolled her eyes another countless time as the Doctor rescued her and they hugged just for that, seeming to more and more find any excuse for the extra contact. They were then transported into the TARDIS.

"I was attacked by a pencil scribble?" The girl exclaimed disbelievingly as the Doctor disabled the… thing and rushed into a long winded explanation.

"Scribble creature. Brought into being with ionic energy. Whatever we're dealing with, it can create things as well as take them. But why make a scribble creature?"

The conversation continued like that for a minute before Rose was the one who came up with something. It seemed to Martha like she was beginning to figure these sorts of things out just as much as the Doctor did. Martha had been travelling with him for months and still she usually wouldn't have any idea what was going on at all until he explained it in detail. She wondered if she was slow or if Rose was fast, settling as she thought of how the latter was more likely.

"The girl." Rose stated simply.

"Of course!" He paused and looked down at Rose. "What girl?" His forehead crinkled in confusion and Martha wished she would get one up on him like that, just once.

The Doctor smiled reverently, thinking about how he had never been challenged in quite the same way that Rose challenged him. She was one of the only humans he would ever call intelligent – not just in an academic way – and she was definitely the only one he had ever thought of as beautiful. He might have hid behind "for a human" but whenever he brought it up what he really meant was _for anyone. _

"Something about her gave me the creeps, even her own mum looked scared of her."

They were standing unnecessarily close to begin with but at she thoughtful expression he lent his head down even closer, a cheeky expression crossing his face as he smiled at her with half-faked pride. "Are you deducting?"

Rose looked at him with glee, conspiratorially narrowing her eyes. "I think I am." The real Doctor smiled absentmindedly at reliving these moments, ones he never shared with anyone else he travelled with. She learnt so much, understood and loved so much.

"Copper's hunch?"

Without hesitation or pause Rose eyed him, dead serious and straightened from were she was leaning on the panel. "Permission to follow it up, Sarge." Martha giggled not really having any idea what they were on about but finding it funny anyway, pondering how many inside jokes they had.

They were then in a room with a woman and a little girl. "I'm busy Doctor." The girl said harshly, not the voice of a child at all as she left the room.

_I guess Rose was right then, _Martha thought, assuming correctly that this was the girl she had a hunch about.

The Doctor called out to her in disappointment. "Oh, come on, Chloe! Don't be a spoil sport!" He followed her into the hallway and it was only then Martha began to wonder where Rose was, not seeing her in the kitchen anywhere. "What's the big project? I'm dying to know! What're you making up there?"

Suddenly her question was answered as a terrified scream came from upstairs – "Doctor!" – with Rose's unmistakable voice and they were immediately transported into a bedroom in what appeared to be the same house just as the Doctor burst in through the door, Rose leaning forwards as if she were being pulled into the cupboard in front of her that was glowing a sickly red, a threatening, growling voice ringing out loudly.

"I'm coming to hurt you."

The Doctor ran to her and slammed the wardrobe doors shot, not glancing inside as he grasped the top of Rose's arm in an unmistakably protective gesture. It was slightly weird to see the Doctor so touchy-feely to begin with but as it was escalating Martha found it bordering on hurtful, though she really should understand, after all the more he was physically connected with Rose the easier it should have been to understand why he didn't like such things anymore. But she still wished he cared for she that much, nothing could change that.

They were then back down in the kitchen, the TARDIS seeming to be going with shorter scenes for the moment, changing quickly every minute or so. This one showed the Doctor practically swooping to the counter and swiping a jar of marmalade off the worktop, unscrewing the lid and dipping his fingers into it, sucking the jam off while totally oblivious the incredulous looks being thrown his way by the other woman and Rose.

He paused as he must have felt their stares and looked at Rose imploringly. She shook her head mouthed 'no' at him and he looked for all the world like a naughty schoolboy caught red-handed. He glanced at the woman who had her arms crossed and was almost glaring at him and meekly replaced the lid, pushing the jar back into its place.

The Doctor smiled and wished, for a split second, that he had some marmalade, brilliant stuff that it was. It was yet another thing he was always thankful to Rose for. Whereas many of his other companions were to meek or intimidated to say anything to him, if he was doing the wrong thing Rose was the first to let him know; she kept him in line, told him when he was being too rude or "alien" but also made sure to acknowledge when he did something right or something that was especially difficult for him. She was so… perfect and he hated it that it was only now he was beginning to realize how true that statement really was.

And just like that they were back in the TARDIS again. The Doctor was fumbling with some sort of device, putting it together while Rose sat on the captain's chair next to the console.

"You knew the Isolus was lonely before it told you. How?" _What the bloody hell is an Isolus? _Martha asked herself, not bothering to ask the Doctor for fear of him going into a long winded explanation and missing the rest of the scene.

The Doctor nudged Rose off the chair and sat himself down, still working on the device.

"I know what it's like to travel a long way on your own. Give me the stina magnetic erm-" he stopped trying to name it and nodded frantically at something she held in her hand. "-thing in your left hand!" She watches him with a tiny glare at his attitude, Martha left to wonder if he realized he was digging himself into a hole.

"Sounds like you're on its side." She put the thing in her left hand into the device, eyes never leaving the Doctors face.

"I sympathize, that's all." _Of course he does._

"The Isolus has caused a lot of pain for these people."

"It's a child!" He blew forcefully it the mechanism. "That's why it went to Chloe, two lonely mixed up kids."

Rose rolled her eyes at him. "Hmm, feels to me like a temper tantrum because it can't get its own way."

The Doctor then became exasperated with her. "It's scared! Come on, you were a kid once. Binary dot." It was fascinating that even when they were in an argument of some sort they still communicated and worked together perfectly, Rose handing him the binary dot while carrying on with her point, absentmindedly chewing on some gum.

"Yes! And I know what kids can be like. Right little... terrors." _That definitely wasn't what she was goin to say, _Martha silently snickered at the girl.

"Gum." Martha screwed up her nose as Rose spat out her gum into his hand and he plugged a part of the device with it. He did that yet a few weeks ago she had been given a lecture on keeping the TARDIS "clean and germ-free" – unbelievable!

"I've got cousins." Rose continued unfazed. "Kids can't have it all their own way. That's part of being a family."

"What about trying to understand them?" She began to think that this was probably the longest they had gone keeping up an argument, or debate.

Rose turned away, smiling slightly as though she thought she was about to win the discussion. "Easy for you to say. You don't have kids."

The Doctor didn't look up from the contraption as he murmured out his next words. "I was a dad once."

"What did you say?" Martha spoke the words with Rose, them both giving their own Doctor's identical looks.

Martha's Doctor swallowed, he knew that was going to bring up some question. Even though it looked like it he wasn't oblivious to the effect his words had on Rose he had just chosen to ignore it, hoping she would forget that the words had carelessly dropped from his mouth, while at the same time he had been glad because it was one less thing he had to hide from her.

He didn't look at Martha as he responded. "I don't want to talk about it," knowing if he had said the same thing yesterday she would have pushed and gotten angry he was so closed off, but happy when now she simply shot him a tiny, forgiving and understanding smile and went back to the scene.

"I think we're there!" The other Doctor said at the same time as him, standing and walking to the console. "Fear. Loneliness, they're the big ones, Rose. Some of the most terrible acts ever committed have been inspired by them. We're not dealing with something that wants to conquer or destroy."

Rose was clearly still reeling from the revelation just as Martha was as she simply stared at him in shock through his rantings.

"There are a lot of things you need to get across this universe. Warp drive, wormhole refractors. You know the thing you need most of all? You need a hand to hold." He looked up then to see Rose's arm outstretched to him, not realizing it had already been like that for some time and grinning, reaching out to take it.

At any other time he would have had the right impression; in fact if Rose hadn't seen the screen blinking Martha had hardly any doubt she would have done it anyway to play along with the Doctor's sentence like he thought she was. But this time Rose laughed at him. "No! Look, I'm pointing."

The Doctor looked at the computer screen and got extremely excited, now practically bouncing around the TARDIS in a way that had happened a few times since the beginning of the memories but which Martha had never seen in real life.

"It's the pod! It is in the street! Everything's coming up Doctor!"

With that they were ripped back into the house and the girl's bedroom, Rose bursting in frantically, the Doctor nowhere to be seen. She ran to beside the possessed girl and picked up the picture she had just finished, Martha appalled to see the Doctor and the TARDIS, not having been told what was going on but figuring it out in less than a second at the pictures appearance. Rose looked down at it, horrified.

"Leave me alone! I want to be with Chloe Webber! I love Chloe Webber!"

Rose's voice was a forced calm as she looked down angrily at the child, obviously trying to remember the Doctor's words of tolerance. "Bring him back, now."

"No."

Rose turned away and lowered her head, hand coming up to rub it in frustration and desperation. She very quickly spun back and grabbed Chloe by the shoulders, shaking her slightly with the force of her move, the thought of the Doctor being taken from her clearly being almost too much for her to handle, it usually being the other way around.

This time her voice was strong, vicious and rising in volume. "Don't you realize what you've done? He was the only one who could help you, now bring him back!"  
**  
**"Leave me alone! I love Chloe Webber!" Rose became defeated and her face softened. Martha had the beginnings of tears in her eyes as she saw the desperation in the poor girls eyes, not sure how to deal with what was essentially an innocent being. She saw the Doctor shift beside her and wondered if he had seen this before, if he had been able to see her from the drawing.

"I know." Rose spoke softly, letting the girl go and standing. "I know." She looked again at the picture still grasped tightly in her hands.

"Doctor, if you can hear me, I'm gonna get you out of there. I'll find the pod." She turned to the woman watching from the doorway and raised her voice again, commanding in such a way Martha hadn't seen before. "Don't leave her alone, no matter what."

They saw a quick flash of Rose smashing a door violently with a pickaxe – making the Doctor grin with an insane amount of glee and pride - but just like that they were outside to the street, surrounded by happy children getting hugged and kissed by their parents and family.

Rose was standing among them, smiling with less sincerity than the rest and Martha quickly deduced the reason why when the Doctor did not make an appearance.

"Doctor," she whispered to herself, half hearted smile fading as an old woman came up and thanked her for every thing.

The Doctor took a step forward before visibly holding himself back, not for the first time, and looked at the image regretfully, wishing now he had gone to her first, not realizing how much he had worried her.

"Rose," he whispered out in response to her calling his name, like an instantaneous reaction to hearing her voice call for him.

"Where is he? He should be here." Her voice shook as the scene fast forwarded and now showed her sitting on the ground, leaning against a front door, hands clasping together like she wished someone else was there to hold it. Martha saw the Doctor's hand twitch at the same time with the same urge. She looked up as a man approached her slowly.

"Maybe he's gone somewhere."

She looked down again, tears almost free from her eyes. "Who's gonna hold his hand now?"

Without anything else they stood inside the house again and Martha wished the Doctor would come back soon, her eyes immediately seeking out Rose and finding her, still close to tears. "Eighty thousand people, so where's the Doctor?" Her voice quivered even more and she utter three of the most honest and true words Martha thinks she'd ever heard spoken. "I need him."

She then watched in shock as the careless and utterly oblivious Time Lord showed up on the turned on television and carried the Olympic torch. She turned and once again couldn't suppress the urge to slap him on the shoulder.

And once again he muttered the same words, "I know," wondering how he had been so unaware back then.

The Doctor was then walking down the same street, though now the sun was setting and it was dark, Rose creeping up behind him, grin already forming. Martha waited, knowing another close, celebratory hug was to come just like always.

"Cake?" She called up, holding out a small cupcake decorated with edible ball bearings, making Martha remember a time she had made some in the TARDIS on a boring day. When she had offered some to the Doctor he had refused to eat them until they had ball bearings on them. She now wondered if that was because of Rose or if he really was that obsessed with the decorations.

The Doctor laughed at her and Martha was surprised when instead of the two of them being swept up into a mutually desperate hug he walked up, took it and exclaimed "top banana!" before taking a delighted bite.

Maybe this time there wouldn't be a hug… that would certainly be a change.

Rose watched him as if him eating a cupcake was the most wonderful thing she had ever seen. "Mm. I can't stress this enough; ball bearings you can eat: masterpiece!" Rose watched for a few more seconds before throwing her arms around his neck and pulling him to her, holding tight and grinning into his shoulder.

_And there is it. _Martha smiled, knowing she should have never doubted it as she saw the Doctor's grip tighten further behind Rose's back.

"Ooh, I thought I'd lost you."

"Nah, not on a night like this; this is a night for lost things being found. Come on!" They walked down the road together, not holding hands but their sides brushing together every step, walking side by side even closer than usual.

Martha and the Doctor followed a pace or two behind and to one side, listening intently, though the Doctor was looking up at the sky and smiling a little less than before.

"What now?" Rose asked.  
**  
**"I want to go to the games! What we came for!"  
**  
**Rose nudged the Doctor in the side. "Go on, give us a clue, which events do we do well in?" She looked up at him imploringly, smiling.

"Well, I will tell you this: Papua New Guinea surprises everyone in the shot put." Martha laughed as he spoke around a mouthful of cake, loving his childish side.

"Really? You're joking, aren't you?" She giggled at him. "Doctor, are you serious or are you joking?"

He just smiled at her again and shrugged. "Wait and see!"

Fireworks exploded overhead and the Doctor reached for Rose's hand, having it immediately, naturally slip into his, sides still contacting each other.

"You know what; they keep on trying to split us up, but they never ever will."

With that Martha felt the Doctor beside her tense to impossible stiffness as he remembered what he felt that night, how he should have taken it into further account. The Doctor next to Rose stopped and looked down at her seriously. "Never say never ever."

"Nah. We'll always be okay, you and me." She frowned when he didn't reply and nudged him slightly again, unsuccessfully trying to draw his gaze back to hers as she became more nervous with his lack of response. _"_Don't you reckon, Doctor?"

The Doctor kept his eyes trained on the sky and stiffened, imitating Martha's Doctor only not quite as intense.

Martha began wishing the man would have just agreed with Rose, for once let them have a nice moment without it being ruined… but that wasn't what happened.

"Something in the air. Something coming."

"What?" Rose asked, now also looking up, happiness draining away as all four of them no doubt remembered the prophesy that had been laid upon them by the Beast back on that impossible planet.

"A storm's approaching." The Doctor whispered forebodingly as Rose glanced at him and shivered, neither really putting as much stock into the words as perhaps they should have.

Martha had hardly any time to really process all that had been said before the night was washed away and they were placed somewhere that was obviously in the middle of the day, the TARDIS clearly trying to get passed the worst and get back to, what Martha assumed to be the last of, the good.

The doctor was walking in a cavernous room, one Martha could identify, having looked frantically around, as the inside of a Roman temple. She gasped as they approached and she saw a statue at the front of the room, the Doctor coming to stand just in front of it. It was beautiful, though she didn't quite understand why the Doctor would be so interested as he stopped, his face falling in disappointment after a few seconds of looking upon it.

The Doctor smiled at the statue, remembering how hi hearts had quickened at seeing her, though he was quickly disappeared.

"Rose is prettier than you." The Doctor muttered at the statue in frustration, frowning while the other Doctor let his face grin widely as he recognized the place and time, feet bouncing as he became instantly giddy, trying not to think of what came right after it.

_Right, he finally says something like that and she's not around to hear it, _his current companion thought in frustration, wondering when they would just get it over with, not for the first time.

"Thanks." Martha knew straight away that it was Rose's voice, though why she would be hiding behind the statue she wouldn't have a clue. The Doctor in the image frowned again in confusion and the current Doctor rethought about how stupid he had been; how had he not recognized that voice? If he were to hear a single word from her he knew he'd know it instantly. Oh well, it was probably a good thing he didn't figure it out, time lines and all that.

He blinked lazily as his crowded Time Lord brain caught up with the new scene.

"It's not going to work. It's too late; she must have been stone too long." The Doctor couldn't remember how defeated and heartbroken he had felt in that moment. Living separated from her with a basically impenetrable barrier between them was bad enough but at least he knew, or could hope that she was safe and knew that she was with her family. But then, thinking that she was actually dead even if it was only for a few seconds; it was excruciating and he wasn't sure he'd live through it when it actually happened. Because even if they stayed separated the one thing he knew with absolute certainty was that he would feel it, the day Rose Tyler was gone from all universes, and he wasn't sure how he was going to live in a multiverse that didn't have her in it.

Martha took in that Jackie was making an appearance for the first time in quite a while and laughed when she saw that it was to yell at the Doctor, though the situation seemed to be quite serious she couldn't help herself. Doctor shook his head, angry and desperate and obviously running out of vital ideas.

The scene quickly fast forwarded to the Doctor emptying the contents of Rose's purse all over the floor of what Martha now noticed to be a museum. She finally paid attention to what was going on and gasped at the statue that stood in front of them. It was an exact replica of Rose… it was beautiful, so perfect she wondered who the artist was.

The Doctor held up a single earring next to the statue and suddenly looked a million times happier than what she assumed was only a few seconds ago.

"It's the same one," awe and relief saturated Jackie's voice as she stared at the jewelry in much the same fashion as the Doctor.

"She forgot to put it back on." The Doctor's voice had dropped to a whisper, one he often used right when he seemed to be figuring things out. "So Rose, the real Rose, is only wearing one earring, which means that this – this isn't Rose. I've got to go back and find her. This better be enough."

He ran off, Jackie catching him before he went back into the TARDIS and asking him where the statue came from. The Doctor's response was simply a wide, face splitting grin and look of self-worship as he turned and left without a verbal answer.

_Of course, I should have known. Only the Doctor would be content to sculpt Rose all day and make her so utterly perfect. _She didn't have time to fall into a pit of her consternation before another shift began.

Martha looked around and wondered what they were doing in… a forest? Quite a different change in venue. She had noticed since the memories of this new adventure had begun the Doctor had been quieter but not morose and he had a particular look on his face, almost like he was looking forward to something and he wanted to hurry things along. She put it out of her mind, figured she find out in good time, and looked back to see Rose awaken.

Rose gasped and spluttered awake, dazed and confused. The Doctor stood in front of her and when her eyes finally locked coherently on his face she lunged forward and grabbed him in a huge hug, eyes teary and joyful, mouth still set in a grimace, trauma and last memories still too close for her to be completely unscarred. The Doctor grinned widely and held her to him tight and unrelenting. Martha wondered how long they'd been separated, they looked even happier than they had on their last adventure and that and the one before that were hard ones to beat. _It must have been a long time._

_It was child, _the TARDIS made its unexpected presence known as the scene began to fast forward, the term being used much more affectionately than the last time it had been used between the two of them. _That was the longest they had been separated and our Doctor was in quite a state._

_I can imagine, _Martha responded amusedly.

They came into it when the Doctor happily tucked his arm through Rose's and tugged her along with him. "You're lost without me," Rose told him playfully, tongue in her teeth as she still grinned up at him. God how he missed that smile. The present Doctor half smiled wistfully, wondering if she still smiled like that, smile falling slightly as he thought about how unlikely it was; especially if her felt anywhere near as wrong and incomplete without him as he did without her. It sounded corny and clique but it was so real.

"Don't I just know it," he replied cheekily, eyebrow rising as he continued. Underneath the playfulness Martha thought they both knew exactly how right Rose was in her statement. "If anyone ever asks me what sort of friend you are I tell them, Rose Tyler, I'm lost without her! Rock solid that's what she is."

Martha lightly whacked the Doctor on the arm. "Not nice," was all she said in way of an explanation. Rose grinned until the last part, glaring viciously and growling, unsuccessful in keeping her faux anger and burst out laughing in the middle of the apparently "menacing" sound. The Doctor followed after a second, mirth not far behind while their linked arms never parted.

And with that Martha sighed in mild annoyance as the image erupted into something new once again, it was getting confusing.

A fight had broken out in the room. Martha gasped and stumbled back in horror as everything happened so fast, the Doctor leaping forward in front of a young girl just as an old man did the same. They contacted each other and the Doctor was frozen into place, his skin instantly turning to perfect, unblemished stone as the same happened to the other girl as she fell and Rose got entangled in the mess, pushing the man to the ground and accidently impaling him on his own dagger. Martha had to physically stop the bile rise in her throat as his own blood pooled around him on the floor.

The blonde looked at the man as if she were about to cry when her eyes widened in sickening realization and she turned hesitantly, obviously hoping she wouldn't see what she thought she would. She saw the Doctor, hands outstretched in an attempt to save yet another life, face frozen in courage for an eternity.

Rose picked up an empty glass phial off the floor, obviously suppressing gasping cries and desperately tried to get a drop out of it onto the Doctor's unmoving head, choking on her own breath and suppressed tears as sobs broke out of her and gradually gained in volume. She finally gave up and pled with the Doctor.

"Doctor, oh Doctor why did we have to come here, it's all my fault. All that stuff about modeling, I wish you hadn't listened to me, I wish you'd never come here." The sound of thunder rolled over them but Martha didn't get to see what happened next as the scene changed quickly again, it seemed the TARDIS was trying to get to somewhere quickly now.

She was about to question the Doctor about what was going on when he blinked tiredly and sighed. "It is much too complicated to explain it now. Maybe later."

She took that to mean she'd never know.

They stood in the same room as before, Rose holding the same phial but now it had remnants of the sickly green liquid left. The hopelessly optimistic expression on Rose's face as she once again tipped the phial over the statue of the Doctor had Martha holding her breath in anticipation. She smiled in pleasure when the statue began to regain color and wiggle its fingers and toes. She peeked at the Doctor to see his reaction to all that was happening to see such an expression of complete concentration yet utter joy at the same time that her curiosity rose to new heights.

"One of my favourite memories." He stated simply, eyes twinkling for the first time in… she couldn't even think how long. It was amazing and she had an inkling to what might be the cause.

Though she had her suspicions her mouth still dropped further than it ever had before, eyes widening impossibly and she couldn't suppress the tiny giggle of amazement and disbelief as she saw just what exactly the past Doctor did when he was free.

His face spread into an unbelievably thankful smile and he grabbed Rose by the shoulders, pulling her into a tight embrace; that, of course, wasn't the odd thing. They stayed there for a few seconds, both euphoric at being reunited and glad to be in each others arms after whatever exactly had happened to them. Then, over Rose's shoulder both of them saw the Doctor's expression change, a hint of desperation and wild abandon glinting in his bright eyes. He pulled back from their hug, looked Rose in the eye, hers growing in surprise as she correctly read his intentions a second before it happened and he pulled her quickly to him, his lips descending on hers.

It wasn't long, nor was it physically deep or visibly passionate but that sort of action from the Doctor was simply amazing. It lasted a few seconds, the Doctor's arms clutching at Rose's waist while hers rested on his chest, one lax while the other grabbed and held tightly to his lapel and pressing herself forward just slightly. Those couple of seconds were so pure and innocently passionate and… accidental yet perfect that Martha had to literally tell herself to breath to keep from forgetting. She heard the Doctor's content sigh from beside her and saw, out of the corner of her eye, for she could not rip her gaze from the scene, him lightly run his tongue over his lip in remembrance, as if he could still savor her taste.

He pulled slowly and gently away from her, no awkwardness between them as they stood impossibly close simply grinning widely at each other as they had always done, arms still half around each other.

"Wotcha," Rose intonated playfully, smoothing down his suit with her palms, just the slightest shake visible, though her voice was steady if not a bit breathless.

_Hmm, I wonder how that felt. _The darker girl couldn't help but think as she saw the still dazed look on Rose's face as the Doctor smiled crookedly back at her. "Hello," he responded in their seemingly customary greeting; she wouldn't be surprised if that was what they said first when they were finally reunited, because they would be, she knew it. His eyes shone in happiness, the recklessness still there, as if for once he was forgetting his own rules and absolutely loving it.

Rose took a breath and laughed shakily. "I think you must be real, my imagination's not that good." They continued grinning at each other, gazes locked in a misleadingly casual stare when the two of them, Martha and the Doctor all knew it was a lot more than it appeared.

It was an affirmation. They understood it probably wouldn't happen again but it didn't matter, because it did happen and that stare was the both of them making promises to acknowledge that fact; to not let it make them awkward with each other or to hide away in the backs of their minds till they convinced themselves it didn't actually happen.

The Doctor had held to his promise. He thought of that kiss every day now, wishing he could feel even a modicum of that sort of emotion again, knowing when he saw her next he wouldn't be wasting anymore time. He was going to let all of his arguments and rules go for one tiny human girl. He delighted in the fact that sometime in the past day his thoughts of seeing her again had gone from _if _to _when, _it was only a matter of time, even if that time was decades ahead of him_. _

And for the first time since that day at Canary Wharf he turned to Martha and showed her something she'd never seen before. He really, truly, smiled.

**A/N FOR THOSE WHO HAVE READ THE BOOK: Okay so I know, dramatic and I let my imagination run away with me a bit with the kiss but it was only given about a sentence in the book and I was like: No! That deserves about two pages of description and explanation thank you very much! Also, I made a mistake and forgot Mickey was in it so I replaced his lines with Jackie, hope you don't mind.**

**FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVEN'T READ THE BOOK: YES, that actually happened it wasn't just me adding another thing in at random. Of course, it wasn't that extended in the book but I had to do it, their first kiss deserves something freakin' awesome so I did the best I could without changing very much. All dialogue is exactly the same.**

**Coming up next (assuming I can fit them both in one chapter but if I can't I'll update really really quickly for you :D): ARMY OF GHOSTS AND DOOMSDAY!**

**ALSO, SORRY THIS IS ANOTHER UNCHECKED CHAPTER SO I HOPE THERE AREN'T TOO MANY MISTAKES.**

**FEEDBACK AND REVIEWS = MORE AND BETTER UPDATES!**

**Thanks,  
Metal.**


	12. Authors Note PLEASE READ!

**A/N PLEASE DON'T KILL ME! I hate these as much as everyone but I'm having a bit of a problem that I need your help with.**

**The way the "Army of Ghosts" and "Doomsday" chapter is going it's going to be… probably at least 10, 000 words, if not quite a bit more than that.**

**I NEED A ****VOTE!**

**Would you rather I do the huge, long chapter so you can all just read "Doomsday", which I know you've all be waiting for,**

**OR**

**Do you want me to build the suspension even more and split the episodes into two chapters?**

**If you want the first option it will take at least another few days because I'm trying to do them really well, as best I can. If you pick option two I'll try and put up "Army of Ghosts" tomorrow and "Doomsday" sometime in the next week.**

**PLEASE DON'T IGNORE THIS!**

**PLEASE REVIEW WITH YOUR VOTES, I REALLY CAN'T CHOOSE WHAT TO DO, I'M A VERY INDECISIVE PERSON!**

**Thank you for your help,**

**Metal. **


	13. Army of Ghosts to Doomsday part 1

**A/N Kay, by landslide majority option 2 it is… I guess you'll just have to wait a bit more for "Doomsday" :P Don't worry, I'll try not to take too long with it. I've been looking forward to writing this for so long so I really hope I did it well. Thank you everyone for your feedback. BTW, I've actually got "Army of Ghosts" and the beginning of "Doomsday" in this to even the chapters out.**

**Thank you to PriderockT for the encouragement as well as to everyone else!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any rights to Doctor Who.**

**

* * *

Chapter 12: Army of Ghosts – Doomsday part 1**

Martha looked around in wonder at their surroundings, still recovering from the last memory and trying to catch up as they found themselves standing next to the TARDIS, the Doctor and Rose of a rocky cliff, the sky burning orange from the setting sun and creatures akin to sting rays flying over their heads and through the sky.

The Doctor and Rose stood about a meter away from each other, the space different for them but nothing to indicate awkwardness or anger. They looked completely content and happy, looking up at the sky with small smiles.

The holographic Doctor turned his head to look at Rose, mouth still crooked in a smile as he asked a question he already knew the answer to. "How long are you gonna stay with me?"

Rose tilted her head to him in much the same way and returned his deep gaze. "Forever." The Doctor felt tears in his eyes as he heard that old promise, a promise that was always impossible for her to keep. He knew what was coming, now he couldn't do anything to stop it and even back then he knew that her forever wouldn't last. But for just a minute that day he had let himself believe it because with every one of her declarations he wanted it to be true more and more until he thought that if he didn't forget what he knew and believed it he would die at the thought of losing her.

And in the scene, they smiled. It was so innocent, somehow full of intimacy and desire held in their eyes but at the same time completely platonic, like they were each others best friend, closest family and perfect lover all at once. Martha wished she knew what that felt like. She sighed in a wistful sort of way as the scene changed dramatically to the Doctor and Rose standing outside the front door of a normal looking flat, only for it to be opened by Rose's mother who promptly ushered them inside.

"Oh, I don't know why you bother with that phone! You never use it!" She somehow managed to sound exasperated and excited at the same time as Rose turned to her and opened her arms.

"Shut up, come here!" They threw their arms around each other, Martha chuckled quietly as the Doctor attempted to walk behind them and past, into the kitchen.

"Oh, I love you!" Jackie squealed into Rose's ear, not having caught sight of the Doctors escape attempt yet.

"I love you!"

"I love you so much!" It was then that Jackie spotted him and grabbed his arm, swinging him comically back towards them. "Oh no you don't, come here!" She pulled him to her and kissed him square on the lips, his face contorted in horror as he attempted to get away.

Martha burst into hysterical guffaws, trying to stop tears escaping her eyes from her humor. The Doctor beside her crossed his arms and scowled.

"No need to think its SO funny… scarred me for life that one did," he mumbled, sulking as Martha only laughed at him harder, though somehow he didn't look as upset as he was pretending to be.

"Oh, you lovely big fella! Oh, you're all mine!"

The Doctor struggled as she still didn't let him go, pulling him into a hug before kissing him again. "Just – just - just put me down!"

"Yes, you are!"

As she walked away the Doctor followed slowly, wiping his mouth vigorously with the back of his hand as they joined Rose who was now in the lounge room.

The scene changed again and although it seemed totally pointless Martha was glad the TARDIS had let them see it, it was nice to be witness to something so lighthearted after so much seriousness.

_If you liked that child, you will definitely… what do you humans say? – Get a kick out of this one. _The TARDIS sent her, a ripple of amusement accompanying the thought.

Rose, holding a newspaper, strode into the TARDIS where the Doctor was wedged in an undignified but completely familiar manner beneath the console.

"According to the paper, they've elected a ghost as MP for Leeds." She called as she walked to stand beside the hole in the grating, looking down. Martha smiled, glad at least one thing hadn't changed though she was fighting resentment and the urge to cry at the mention of ghosts, knowing now where and when they were watching. The look on the Doctor's face the first time he had mentioned that battle at Canary Wharf was devastating and she wouldn't mind betting that was where it happened, since she met him just a few months after. She gulped knowing what was coming and knew there wouldn't be any smiles or amusement from the Doctor after these few happy memories for quite a while.

"Now don't tell me you're gonna sit back and do nothing," Rose continued, only for her sentence to nearly be cut off with the suddenness that the Doctor sprung up from under the grating, holding an odd looking device in one hand that was connecting to the rucksack on his back. His lips pouted and he spoke in a comical voice.

"Who're you gonna call?" The TARDIS supplied them with music that filled the room, the Ghostbusters tune ringing out around them making both giggle uncontrollably.

_He's mad!_

"Ghostbusters!" Rose chanted loudly back at him as he spun on the spot and headed to the doors of the TARDIS with a funky walk.

"I ain't afraid of no ghosts." Rose followed him, giggling.

_God, they're just as bad as each other, _Martha thought despairingly, imagining how painful it would be to deal with them both at once… Rose had turned into his carbon copy, no wonder they loved each other; they were practically made for each other and anyone could see it.

"When's the next shift?" The Doctor directed the question at Jackie, down frantically checking three objects he'd put on the ground in a triangle, the three of them only a few meters from the TARDIS.

Jackie glanced down at her watch. "Quarter to, but don't go causing trouble. What's that lot do?"

"Triangulates their point of origin."

Rose was looking very thoughtful as she turned to the Doctor. "I don't suppose it's the Gelth?"

The Doctor shook his head negatively. "Nah." Rose shook her head as well, that clearly being the answer she was expecting.

"They were just coming through one little rift. This lot are transposing themselves over the whole planet. Like tracing paper."

Martha rolled her eyes as Jackie scowled at the Doctor. _It's always the mothers, _she internally complained as she thought of what her own mothers reaction would be to all this.

"You're always doing this. Reducing it to science. Why can't it be real?" The Doctor ignored the woman and continued to work, Rose looking as though she wanted nothing more than for her mother to shut up. "Just think of it, though; all the people we've lost, our families coming back home. Don't you think it's beautiful?"

The Doctor paused in his work, meeting her eyes for the first time frowning in deep contemplation and mourning.

Completely serious he said darkly, "I think it's horrific." Jackie looked shocked at his words while Rose just looked understanding, Martha mirroring her expression.

The Doctor snapped out of his stupor and walked backwards towards the TARDIS. "Rose, give us a hand." The girl followed immediately through the doors of the TARDIS, Martha and the Doctor also being swept inside as they went, cable unwinding from the Doctor's hands and being plugged into the console.

The Doctor rushed his speech and Martha wondered how the other girl could keep up, taking an absentminded note that Jackie had also come inside. "As soon as it becomes activated, if that line goes into the red, press that button there. If it doesn't stop-" He annoyingly shoved the sonic screwdriver under Rose's nose, making her go cross-eyed to keep her eyes on it. Martha was sure, had he done it to her, she would have batted him away and given him a reprimand but Rose took it and nodded along as he explained. She felt more than heard the Doctor's almost silent breath of laughter from beside her.

"Setting 15B, hold it against the port, eight seconds and stop." He looked up at her for an indication she heard, obviously used to his companion's not following him the first time.

"15B, eight seconds."

He then indicated the screen again. "If it goes into the blue, activate the deep scan on the left."

"Hang on a minute, I know-" She leant over the console and pointed to a button on one of the ridges, smiling at him over her shoulder. Martha sighed in jealousy that he had taught her so much about the TARDIS; if he had asked her to do a similar thing she wouldn't have a clue even which section the button or lever, or whatever it was, was in.

"It's that one." Her statement came out sounding more like a question than anything else.

"Mm, close."

She pointed to a bigger one to its left. "That one?"

The Doctor scrunched up his face and made a funny sounding noise. "Now you've just killed us." Rose giggled. Martha shot a quick look to Jackie only to see an indescribable look on her face, like she was very upset about something. She didn't spare too much thought over it, turning quickly back, to see the Doctor beside her had noticed the same thing.

She shot him a questioning look.

"I'm not quite sure," he answered her unasked query. "I wasn't there to hear what she said to Rose… in what should be a minute or so actually. And we never got the chance… to talk about it," his voice trailed off towards the end of the sentence, as if he hadn't realized what he had been saying until he said it and the words hurt him terribly. It was just another thing they had left unfinished, another thing they would never talk about.

"Eh, that one."

The Doctor nodded jovially. "Yeah! Now, what've we got? Two minutes to go?" The Doctor rushed outside, Martha and the real Doctor staying inside the TARDIS this time, his voice shouting from outside, the machines doors open.

"What's the line doing?"

Rose glanced down at the screen, concentrating intently. "It's all right, it's holding!" She yelled back, tone the same.

Jackie stood beside Rose now and looked at her, studying. Then, she voiced something Martha had been thinking for quite some time now. "You even look like him." Rose looked at her quickly, only maintaining eye contact for a split second before returning her gaze to the monitor, not wanting to miss anything.

The Doctor looked at her even more closely, if that was possible, and smiled softly as he realized how right Jackie was, though his and Rose's reactions were probably not quite what she was wishing for when she brought up the subject.

"How do you mean?" The blonde smiled then, a quiet but silently overwhelming happiness seeping out of her to hit everyone else in the room as she registered the words and how true they were. "I suppose I do, yeah."

At that Jackie looked even closer to tears, though Martha didn't really understand why; if her daughter was _that _happy how could she possibly be objective. You only had to look at the young blonde to realize she was exactly where she wanted and needed to be… where she belonged. "You've changed so much."

"For the better." Jackie's face fell even more at that and her voice dropped to a whisper.

"I suppose.

Rose turned to her looking annoyed now. "Mum, I used to work in a shop."

"I've worked in shops. What's wrong with that?"

"No, I didn't mean that."

_God, this makes me never want to tell my mother._

"I know what you meant. What happens when I'm gone?"

Rose's eyes widened in shock and Martha thought about how unfair that was; it was like she was guilt tripping her or something. The Doctor frowned beside her thinking the same thing. "Don't talk like that!"

"No, but really. When I'm dead and buried, you won't have any reason to come back home. What happens then?"

"I don't know."

Then the real issue came into the conversation and Rose's reply made the Doctor's hearts stutter in joy and painful regret. "Do you think you'll ever settle down?"

Rose didn't hesitate in her answer, no doubt in her voice that it would ever change. "The Doctor never will, so I can't. I'll just keep on travelling." Martha chanced a look at the Time Lord beside her but didn't hold the gaze, seeing his eyes glassy with an assembly of emotions shooting past his eyes as he tried to figure out what he should feel, hearing her say something so blatantly obvious about her feelings.

Jackie was quick to counter the argument though, becoming even bitterer. "And you'll keep on changing. And in forty years time, fifty, there'll be this woman, this strange woman walking through the marketplace on some planet a billion miles from Earth. She's not Rose Tyler, not anymore. She's not even human."

_But that doesn't matter, _Martha thought even though she disagreed with the words. The woman didn't understand, how could she? She hadn't seen everything the two had gone through together or the powerful emotions they had shared and come so close to admitting so many times. If she had seen it all she'd understand, just like Martha herself did now; it didn't matter what the consequence were, what it did to them; Rose and the Doctor would stay together as long as they possibly could and no matter what else happened happiness would always be in their reach if they were together. And as cheesy as it all sounded inside her head she knew it was so true that there was no way she could feel badly about it, it was too nice to know that such unquestionable love and devotion actually existed in the world.

"Here we go," the Doctor's voice broke the moment floating through the open doors and bringing them back to reality.

The next thing they saw must have been only a very short time later, still in the TARDIS though now the other Doctor had rejoined them.

The eccentric man twisted and turned knobs as he spoke nonsensically to Rose. "I like that.'Allons-y'. I should say 'allons-y' more often. 'Allons-y'. Watch out, Rose Tyler! Allons-y! And THEN, it would be really brilliant if I met someone called Allonzo. Because then I could say, 'allons-y, Allonzo'! Every time! You're staring at me." They had obviously come into the middle of a conversation though neither missed the curious looking smile planted on Rose's face.

The Doctor remembered that moment. How could he have been so stupid? Though he didn't actually hate Jackie at all he was right about her; she was absolutely useless out on their sort of adventures. He guessed in came from Rose's dad's side.

Martha's mouth gaped in immature hilarity as Rose glanced behind them, drawing everyone's eyes to the short woman sitting complacently on top of the TARDIS' gantries, legs dangling. "My mum's still on board."

"If we end up on Mars, I'm gonna kill you." She folded her arms as the Doctor stared in horror, Rose smirking at his expression along with Martha who couldn't wait to see what would happen with Jackie on board.

_I apologize Martha Jones but you will not be witness to much of Jackie Tyler's adventure. My Doctor needs to get through what is coming with haste otherwise his strength will fail him. _

She didn't comment on the TARDIS' message but nodded slightly, the Doctor watching Rose too intently to notice, just like always.

Just then, they found themselves inside a massive building, the Doctor and Jackie standing in a group of unfamiliar people while the TARDIS was driven in on the back of a truck behind them, Rose nowhere to be seen.

"Oi! Where're you taking that?" Jackie shrieked at the others.

"If it's alien, it's ours." Martha scowled, not liking the sound of that at all.

"You'll never get inside it." The Doctor taunted.

"Hm! Et cetera." _Argh, _she was really starting to dislike that woman, even after only a few seconds.

She walked away and Martha's eyes were drawn to the TARDIS after seeing the holographic Doctor stared at in, waiting for something. Just as she was beginning to wonder about his sanity the door opened a crack to reveal Rose peeking through. The Doctor nodded subtly to her, encouraging before looking away.

He real Doctor let a tiny smile emerge, missing having a companion that knew what to do from a simple nod.

They then stood in the middle of yet another room, obviously the same building, a huge and ominous black sphere behind a Doctor who was sitting on the bottom step of a small ladder, two people with him, one the woman from before.

"And what's 'the Void'?" The man asked looking confused.

The Doctor took a deep breath and started explaining. "The space between dimensions. There's all sorts of realities around us, different dimensions, billions of parallel universes all stacked up against each other. The Void is the space in-between, containing absolutely nothing. Imagine that, nothing. No light, no dark, no up, no down. No life. No time, without end. My people called it the Void, the Eternals call it the Howling. But some people call it Hell."

"That's where the sphere and the Cybermen came from," the Doctor explained quietly to Martha, voice strained and cracked as if everything was finally coming up.

_It's getting close._

The room fast forwarded for quite a while until it stopped on a time when Rose, the same man and another extremely familiar man were huddled together sin front of the now rather noisy sphere.

"We had them beaten, but then they escaped. The Cybermen just vanished. They found a way through to this world, but so did we." Mickey said, holding a gun steadily towards the quivering sphere.

Rose looked up at him. "The Doctor said that was impossible."

"Yeah, well it's not the first time he's been wrong." This time he sounded slightly bitter. Martha couldn't help but smile, happy for some reason, over his return.

"What's inside that sphere?"

"No one knows. Cyber Leader, Cyber King, Emperor of the Cybermen... whatever it is-" Mickey grinned smugly. "He's dead meat."

"It's good to see you."

"Yeah. It's good to see you too." _So obviously all this had just started happening_, Martha thought, trying to sort out what exactly was going on.

The scene fast forwarded and when it stopped the sphere was in the process of opening, the tops of frighteningly familiar aliens coming out over the top of the horrifying contraption.

Mickey's eye's widened and his grasp of his gun wavered. "That's not Cybermen."

Martha gasped and backed up a step as four Daleks glided smoothly from the sphere, the Doctor's face transforming into a disgusted expression as he stepped sideways towards Rose, as if still trying to protect her.

"Oh my God," Rose gasped out, breath audibly catching.

"Location: Earth. Life forms detected. Exterminate!"

After the terrifying battle cry the scene changed to some Cybermen leading the same woman again and the Doctor, who both had their hands behind their heads.

Martha turned to the Doctor. "The Daleks? Is it their fault… what happens to Rose?" She wasn't sure if she should bring it up and watched regretfully as the Doctor swallowed heavily and shoved his hands forcefully down into the depths of his pockets, hands undoubtedly clenching into bloodless fists. She took his silence as a resounding affirmative to her question.

"Get away from the machines - do what they say, don't fight them!" The Doctor ordered urgently, drawing her attention back as the Cybermen revealed their weapons and shot one of the scientists, making him fall to the ground, dead.

Jackie half hid behind the Doctor and looked absolutely terrified, obviously not cut out for the Doctor's lifestyle. "What are they?"

"We are the Cybermen. The Ghost Shift will be increased to one hundred percent." The Cyberman clamped a fist to its chest and the lever rose gradually, beginning the Ghost Shift. Martha thought back on how terrified she had been that day, wondering if it would have been better or worse to be here, at the centre of everything… though she supposed with the Doctor was safer than anywhere else. Then she reminded herself of Rose.

_Or maybe not._

The scene fast forwarded for a second before showing the Doctor with a very confused and angry look on his face.

The real Doctor wished he could have that ignorance back.

"What I don't understand is Cybermen don't have the technology to build the Void Ship, that's WAY beyond you. How did you create that sphere?"

"The sphere is not ours," the Cyberman's mechanical voice answered.

The Doctor paused, stunned into momentary silence. "What?"

"The sphere broke down the barriers between worlds. We only followed. Its origin is unknown."

_He didn't even know, _Martha thought, knowing or at least having some idea as to just how freaked out the Doctor must have been, not knowing what Rose was dealing with.

"Then what's inside it?"

"Rose is down there," Jackie stated fearfully. Martha frowned and wished the woman hadn't have said that, seeing the Doctor's expression darken even further, eyes flashing in irritation and, perhaps for the first time ever, at least that Martha had seen, helplessness.

Once again they were sent back to the room where the Daleks were now advancing on the three helpless humans. Martha was back to being terrified just looking at the destructive creatures she had faced once before.

She was jolted in disbelief when Rose stepped forward instead of back, face not showing any fear as she faces the front Dalek eye to "eye". For the first time in a while Martha was amazed that she would do that; even Rose, who was clearly one of the bravest people she had ever seen, should have been running for cover and yet there she was, standing up and fighting.

"Daleks!" The young girl shouted confidently, raising an eyebrow as they fell silent, taken aback. "You're called 'Daleks'." She walked further towards them and Martha saw the Doctor jerk in his place beside her, still wary and protective though all this had already happened.

The Doctor couldn't stand it; she had been so brave, even without him there to rescue her. She didn't deserve what happened to her.

Rose slid the lab coat she was wearing off and threw it onto a table, attitude not wavering or breaking while the two men cowered behind her. "I know your name. Think about it, how can I know that? A human, who knows about the Daleks. And the Time War; if you want to know how then keep us alive. That's all I'm asking, me and my friends.

Mickey's eyes shot nervously between Rose and the Daleks, gun still at the ready. "Yeah Daleks, Time War, me too."

"Yeah, and me." The other, obviously oblivious man agreed as well.

The Dalek in the front stared silently at Rose before responding in its usual mechanical drawl. "You will be necessary." Martha let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. She shook herself, trying to get her body to relax, though she didn't really understand why she was tense in the first place. _Wait, yes I do. _The man next to her was so on edge that it was likely if anything was to try and interrupt his viewing he'd probably jump and pull out his sonic screwdriver. _It must be getting close, _Martha thought once again, knowing there was only a rare few things that could make him act that way, all of them relating in some way to Rose.

"Report, what is the status of the Genesis Ark?"

Without hearing the answer they found themselves again in the room with the Doctor and Jackie, the Doctor's body heaving in frustration, which she could only guess was from wanting to stay right where Rose was but being pulled away from his reverent cataloguing.

"What's down there? She was in that room with the sphere. What's happened to Rose?" Jackie asked, staring up at the Doctor as if he had all the answers, just like everyone always did so that they had someone to blame when it didn't all work out.

The Doctor leant against a wall, avoiding her eyes as his swung to the ceiling, posture stiff and unyielding.

"I don't know." He spoke harshly, a tone Martha recognized as him trying to protect himself; he used it whenever she, or anyone else, got too close to something, something he didn't want to talk about… or couldn't. When Jackie began to cry he looked suddenly regretful and went to her, stopping so he could whisper to her.

"I'll find her. I brought you here, I'll get you both out, you and your daughter. Jackie, look at me. Look at me." His voice took on even more sincerity and persona meaning. "I promise you. I give you my word."

The scene fast forwarded rapidly then, stopping at a time the Doctor was staring, horrified at a screen that showed a Dalek facing off against two Cybermen. His eyes were wide and his face frozen in a mixture of fear and denial.

Jackie stood next to him and again looked to him for answers, not looking nearly as frightened as one would who knew what the Daleks really were Martha thought as she caught up to what was going on. "Rose said about the Daleks. She was terrified of them. What have they done to her, Doctor? Is she dead?"

Her words seemed to trigger something inside the Doctor as he snapped viciously out of his stupor and turned to her with frightening suddenness and intensity. His face was close to hers and he held out a hand to her, which Martha could barely see was shaking slightly.

"Phone." He spat out the order to the woman through gritted teeth and his eyes shone with the distinct sheen of tears.

"What did you-"

He interrupted before she could finish, demand now even more aggressive. "Phone!"

Jackie surreptitiously handed the Doctor her phone, the anxious Time Lord dialing immediately and holding it to his ear, frantic with worry.

Martha could only assume that at this point Rose was still fine because if she wasn't she was certain, though he wasn't exactly taking it well at the moment, that the Doctor would be taking watching the memory much worse than he was, the only signs of distress coming from him was his tense crossed arms and shoulders and barely shaking body.

The further they went in these memories the worse the shaking became and Martha was beginning to get worried. The only reason she had yet to say anything was that she was sure if he were in real trouble the TARDIS would stop all this and help her to take care of him.

The image Doctor's face softened in relief as he let out a breath. "She's answered, she's alive."

Jackie clapped her hands over her mouth looking about as happy as Martha had expected, though still not matching the intense emotion on the Doctor's face at the revelation.

Just then his brow creased as he kept hold of the phone. "Why haven't they killed her?"

"Well, don't complain!"

He ignored the mother's comment. Another thing the dark girl had realized was that in all the other memories that they had seen Jackie in never had he been so inattentive to her. He might have been annoyed or exasperated but he always played along, always gave her some form of attention. Now it seemed as though in such a situation the need to protect and worry about Rose overrode everything else, everyone else, even if that other person was like a surrogate mother.

"They must need her for something," he mumbled to himself.

"The Genesis Ark?" He questioned seemingly unprompted, obviously hearing something through the phone.

Despite the seriousness of the situation Martha couldn't help the large smile that broke out over her face as he lifted a pair of 3D glasses and placed them on his nose, shifting his attention to the laptop that showing the Dalek.

After seeing the rather comical sight the picture phased out before showing them the Doctor again, this time along in a room that looked much the same, all white. A Cyberman approached him and again the Doctor near Martha straightened and his teeth clenched.

He could never explain the amount of nights he had thought about what that Cyberman had said to him, how many times he had wondered if it was right. That was probably why the TARDIS was showing it, trying to prove something. The doubt lingered on in his mind however; after all, if he had never fallen in love he wouldn't be so broken he wouldn't know this sort of constant pain existed and all he would have to deal with would be the death of Gallifrey and the Time Lords, which in and of itself was so much more than he could do on his own.

"You are proof," the Cyberman taunted.

The Doctor's head turned to it, eyebrow raised. "Of what?"

"That emotions destroy you."

_He was wrong my Doctor, emotions make you live. _He nodded at the whisper sent through his mind, still not convinced he actually believed it.

"Yeah, I am." He hesitated then, looking to his side and brow furrowing in something a kin to surprise. "Mind you, I quite like hope. Hope's a good emotion. And here it comes."

Just behind them a group of people Martha thought were vaguely familiar appeared dressed in black suits, helmets and with guns, immediately shooting and destroying the Cybermen in the room while the Doctor frantically rolled out of the way.

"Doctor, good to see you again," said the youngest of the group as he removed the helmet.

The Doctor's eyes in the image widened while Martha's Doctor smiled fractionally. "Jake?"

"The Cybermen came through from one world to another, and so did we." The Doctor stared at him, looking more concerned than pleased. Martha started to get the feeling that all these scenes were being deliberately picked for a different reason than they were for the previous adventures.

Then it had only been about understanding the progression of the Doctor's and Rose's relationship but now, the TARDIS was making sure she understood the whole situation, picking scenes and images that explained things while hardly anything was being shown to do, directly, with Doctor/Rose interaction.

The vague smile slipped off her face as she realized it was all coming together, which means the end was closer than ever. She was beginning to wonder if she could really handle it. She looked back to see Rose again, relieved to see the girl was still in one piece. Her theory was then proven as Rose spoke, yet again another explanation.

"As the Doctor said when you travel in time in the TARDIS, you soak up all this, um, background radiation. It's harmless, it's just there. But in the Time War, the Daleks evolved so they could use it as a power supply." Mickey gazed at her in a peculiar way that Martha was sure would have the Doctor jealous in no time if he were there.

Even now she could practically feel the glare coming form her right.

"I love it when you talk technical."

Rose rolled her eyes and didn't look remotely amused, though they all knew if the Doctor said the same thing there would be a round of batter, blushing and probably a close call followed by an awkward silence… if that even existed between Rose and the Doctor. "Shut up, if the Daleks have got something inside that thing that needs waking up."

"They need you."

_Doesn't everybody, _Martha couldn't quite stop herself from thinking, annoyed with herself that she was still reaching such unfair judgments.

"You've travelled in time, either one of us would do," she mumbled in return, obviously not having much patience to explain.

"But why would they build something they can't open themselves?"

Once of the Daleks suddenly interjected, spinning to face them. "The technology is stolen. The Ark is not of Dalek design."

"Then who built it?" Rose spoke back, still calm while Mickey couldn't hide his fear.

Martha spared a quick though to the other man that was with them in the beginning, wondering where he went before coming to the conclusion that what happened to him was what happened to most people who faced Daleks, except, it seemed, Rose Tyler.

"The Time Lords. This is all that survives of their Home World."

"What's inside?" Rose pushed as the four assembled around the Ark like some sort of ritual.

"The future." _They can never just give a straight answer can they? _Martha reflected in frustration, thinking of Manhattan when Dalek Sec said almost the same thing.

The image blurred as it forwarded to a minute or so later, Rose's face finally showing signs of rational fear as she stared at the Ark and moved forward towards it.

"Obey or the male will die."

"I can't let them."

Mickey reached out a hand to try to stop her, unsuccessfully. "Rose, don't."

"Place your hand upon the casket." The same Dalek demanded.

Rose shot a vicious glare at it and sneered. "All right! You're gonna kill us anyway, so what the hell?" Clearly playing for time she turned back again to face the repulsive creature, standing not a few inches from it.

"She was brilliant," the Doctor interjected, finally speaking after a long, self-imposed silence. His face shone with even more pride and yet another rare smile. "I was outside, heard the whole thing just waiting to make the perfect entrance." Here Martha couldn't tell whether or not he was joking but decided not to strain herself trying to figure it out as she probably never would. "She was just… fantastic."

She nodded placatingly to him and simply continued to watch to see what exactly had prompted his little outburst.

"If you um, escaped the Time War... don't you want to know what happened?"

"Place your hand-"

"What happened to the Emperor?" She stared the Dalek down as it hesitated and didn't repeat its order.

"The Emperor survived." It sounded unsure of its statement though, still not moving as if waiting for her response.

"'Till he met me. 'Cause if these are gonna be my last words, then you're gonna listen. I met the Emperor. And I took the Time Vortex and I pulled it into his head and turned him into dust. Do you get that? The God of all Daleks and I destroyed him." She smiled gloatingly at the Dalek and let out a mocking laugh, eyes never moving from its eerie eyepiece.

"You will be exterminated!" It responded furiously, palpable anger bleeding through the cold stoicism.

"Oh now, hold on, wait a minute." Martha smiled as she heard the familiar voice coming from the doorway. For some reason it was better than good to see the two of them in the same room together again, like the scene was finally complete. She sighed at herself; all this was turning her into a complete mush-ball.

"Alert, alert - you are the Doctor." They both smiled automatically at seeing Rose's wide smile of delight as she caught sight of the Doctor as he sauntered into the room wearing his 3D glasses again.

"Sensors report he is unarmed."

In true Doctor fashion the man looked even happier at that announcement. "That's me, always."

"Then you are powerless."

"Not me." He removed the glasses with a flourish as if to make a point. "Never." Then he turned to Rose, gaze drawn immediately to hers and looking as though he was extremely glad to finally see her face again, eyes running compulsively over her features, checking for damage as he walked up and stood rather close to her, even for them, ignoring the Dalek's completely for a second. "How are you?"

Rose simply grinned up at him reassuringly. "Oh, same old, you know."

"Good!" His voice rose from the soft, intimate tone he had been using with his girl and he turned to the darker man beside her. "And Mickity-McMickey!" They bashed each others fists lightly, smiling. "Nice to see you!"

"And you, boss."

Obviously getting sick of being ignored one of the Daleks spoke up commandingly. "Social interaction will cease!"

"How did you survive the Time War?"

The Doctor turned back to them. "By fighting on the front line. I was there at the fall of Arcadia. Someday I might even come to terms with that. But you lot, ran away," Martha watched Rose during his little speech and was shocked to see her face just as reverent and sympathetic as she had predicted at hearing the Doctor talking about part of his past like that and the sadness in his voice, but none of the surprise or attention to detail was there, not even a hint.

She swallowed as she realized the Doctor had told Rose more than she had ever thought. She knew that the other girl knew more than her but it was obvious whenever she was hearing something new about the Doctors brutal past that she listened intently and soaked in every detail. That concentration wasn't there, which means she had already heard about those specifics before, Martha just knew it, and if she knew that the girl couldn't help but wonder how much else she knew, how much was there to know?

They were suddenly thrust into a new hologram, chaos all around them as they were in the same room but now debris lined the floors and both and the Daleks and Cybermen fought relentlessly.

The Doctor and Rose flung themselves to the ground, trying to avoid the guns, hands clasping each others the whole time.

The Doctor screamed at her over the noise, releasing his grip on her hand. "Rose, get out!" There were perhaps seven others in the room and yet his concern narrowed to her. Of course he still cared about them but Martha still thought it was amazing to see how one track minded he became when Rose was in trouble.

Rose made towards the door but stumbled back to the ground as lasers shot past her.

"Fire power insufficient! Fire power insufficient!" One of the Daleks cried.

The older man Martha thought she remembered as Rose's father helped Rose to her feet and pulled her to the side and out of the room. It was only then that the Doctor took his eyes off her and began to also try and move towards the safe door.

The image quickly morphed again to something that was obviously only a few seconds or minutes later. They watched from behind as the small group knelt in front of a closed door, Rose and the Doctor huddled together at the front.

The Doctor opened the door to reveal where the battle between the Cybermen and the Daleks was really taking place, peering into the lab, waiting for the right moment to enter. Martha involuntarily gasped as he dove into the room, watched anxiously by Rose who winced every time a beam passed near him, often only centimeters away. The Doctor picked up two large magnets looking things and used them to deflect the rays from himself as he made his way back toward the door with them, dodging the beams. He tripped over a Cyberman's body not a couple of meters from safety once again and Martha jumped in her place, breath held as she watched intently, feeling like she was being sucked into her favourite action movie or sci-fi television show or something.

Rose lurched forward in a much similar fashion but also restrained herself. "Come on, please." The real Doctor ran a hand through his hair in self-frustration; back then he really had no idea just how much she worried about him all the time. He had had some idea but never to such an extent as he did now; it rivaled he feelings every time she was in danger. His gut clenched as he momentarily thought about what sort of danger she was in, in that parallel world working at Torchwood, without him there to protect her… and he certainly didn't like the idea of anyone else protecting her.

The Doctor quickly got to his feet and just as he slipped through the door to safety the chaos melted away and they were back up in the unbelievably white room, looking out the window fearfully as Martha watched, horrified as Daleks swarmed the sky. She, of course, remembered that day but to relive it was simply terrifying for on the real day she had no idea just how much some people had lost.

"Time Lord science, it's bigger on the inside." At her previous thought Martha chanced a glance up at the Doctor who was also watched the sky with growing dread. She saw in his eyes that the pain was becoming fresher, getting closer. They didn't have much time left until all hell broke loose around them, in more ways than one.

"Did Time Lords put those Daleks in there? What for?" Mickey asked.

"It's a prison ship."

Rose's voice shook for the first time. "How many Daleks?'

"Millions."

**A/N I really have no idea how good or bad this was. I didn't do it as well as I would have liked. I know there wasn't much of the Doctor's POV in there but I really wanted to save the bulk of his reactions for the next chapter, I'm sure you can understand why. Sorry for updating late, it was even more difficult to finish than I thought it would be, especially since I decided to put some Doomsday in there. **

**Doomsday should be up in around a week, maybe a bit more, maybe a bit less, I'm not really sure. Although, because the weekend is coming up it might be up before that.**

**PLEASE REVIEW! I'd love to get even more feedback from these two chapters because they really are the most important, of the memories anyway. It'd be awesome if everyone who read it would review but that's never going to happen.**

**Hope it was good enough. UNCHECKED, hope it's okay. Again, PLEASE REVIEW!**

**Thanks for reading so far,**

**Metal.**


	14. Doomsday part 2

**A/N Kay, here it is and I hope I did well. Doctor will be a bit OOC, I hope that doesn't bother anyone because I wanted this chapter to be really dramatic. I can't keep you from it any longer so here it is, "Doomsday." Enjoy.**

**ALLONS-Y!**

**Disclaimer: I own no rights to Doctor Who nor anything in relation to it… unless you count my DVD's, noise maker thingy and fake sonic screwdriver (I'M PROUD TO BE A NERD!)**

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Chapter 13: Doomsday**

Martha barely had time to readjust to the situation before the scene fast forwarded, the Doctor now depicted with his 3D glasses, gazing out the window while Pete and Jackie spoke, Rose watching the Doctor carefully as if she wasn't sure what to expect.

Pete was talking but Martha hardly paid attention as her gaze was sucked towards her Doctor.

"But there's another world, just waiting for you, Jacks. And it's safe. As long as the Doctor closes the breach. Doctor?"

The fake Doctor turned from the window with a big grin. "Oh, I'm ready. I've got the equipment right here. Thank you, Torchwood!" He was positively gleeful, the exact opposite of the man she was now attempting to get to meet her eyes.

He had backed up a few steps, away from the scene, backing into a stone wall the TARDIS had placed there. He looked more upset than she had ever seen him as he pushed his back into the wall, arms wrapping securely around himself. His look bordered on terrified but he didn't seem able to look away, watching the scene with a new intensity that scared Martha more than she'd like to admit.

"Doctor?" She questioned, reaching out to him. He flinched away from her, never returning her eye contact.

"Watch," he barked out, voice harsh now, with more anger than she had ever heard directed at her. Finally his eyes slid listlessly to hers, no life left in them. His voice was cold and strained with the effort to suppress his emotions. "You wanted to know, wanted to see; so watch."

She immediately turned her gaze back onto the movements just a meter or two away from them, knowing it was finally here, the thing that she wanted to know for _so _long but now wished she'd never have to see. She swallowed a lump of regret that lodged in her throat as she thought of what this would put the Doctor through.

_Can't you stop it now? _She begged the TARDIS, thoughts, she knew, coming out watery and broken.

_I'm sorry child._

The machine went utterly silent then and she realized the scene had been paused during hers and the Doctor's interaction, though his eyes had never strayed from the young, imperfect but somehow faultless face of Rose Tyler.

Everything suddenly started back up and she watched with growing trepidation. The Doctor dashed excitedly to a computer. "Slam it down and close off both universes."

"Reboot systems," an overhead voice called, obviously the computer.

"But we can't just leave. What about the Daleks? And the Cybermen?" She was still asking the right questions, even in the midst of chaos but now Martha couldn't even look at the girl without feeling pressure build up in her chest, knowing what was coming yet not knowing at all.

The Doctor held his body as still as he possibly could, never taking his eyes off Rose for these last few, precious moments. He had been so busy last time, had no idea what was coming but this time he soaked in every last thing about her that he could. He took in the way she followed him around the room with her eyes, body swiveling as he walked to keep him in constant sight, the same way he used to do with her. He noted the tiny crease in her forehead as her brow wrinkled in innocent ignorance and the knowledge that burned in her orbs as she asked all the right questions, that knowledge only becoming stronger as he answered.

The Doctor in the scene stood and turned to face the girl, grinning even wider.

"They're part of the problem. And THAT makes them part of the solution. Oh yes!" His enthusiasm seemed completely unwarranted and fake; Martha knew Rose thought the same as she laughed nervously at him, not meaning the light hearted gesture at all. They were the only two who could see the dark undercurrents running through his mind and she could see how worried the alien was making Rose.

The Doctor looked at them expectantly, waiting for something. "Well? Isn't anyone gonna ask? What is it with the glasses?" Rose let out a genuine grin this time, stepping towards him and away from her family, not giving them a moment's pause as she was sucked into his attitude and their usual way.

"What is it with the glasses?" The Doctor beamed radiantly at her. _He's planning something, getting some good last moments in. _Martha cursed herself as the thought ran through her mind because she knew that she was right.

"I can SEE!" He exclaimed, pointing to the ceiling like he was having an epiphany. "That's what! 'Cause we've got two separate worlds, but in-between the two separate worlds, we've got the Void." Martha saw the intensity between them, even with a simple task of explaining his scientific babble they both looked as though it was the most important thing they had ever heard or said. The Doctor locked eyes on her face to make sure he would pick up any modicum of misunderstanding or confusion and Rose's followed his gesturing hands with rushed and singular concentration, never missing a beat as she absorbed the information. "That's where the Daleks were hiding. And the Cybermen travelled through the Void to get here. And you lot, one world to another, via the Void! Oh, I like that. Via the Void! Look!"

He hurriedly ripped the glasses from his face and placed them delicately on Rose. "I've been through it. Do you see?" He moved his head about, manic grin splitting his face as Rose reached out to try and touch something none of them could see.

"Reboot in three minutes." The ominous call of the computer in the background kept the countdown approaching and it sent a shiver through Martha, whose eyes were now flicking between the scene and her Doctor. She was monitoring him but as of yet there had been no changes, not even a breath going by without adding tenseness to the very air.

"Void stuff." The other Doctor answered Rose's previous question cheerfully. They had both slipped back into their usual routine, neither bothered nor slowed down by the slight gathering of people behind them looking at them like they were complete nutters.

"Like um," Rose thought for a minute while the Doctor's smile became encouraging. She clicked her fingers, "background radiation!"

He nodded happily. "That's it. Look at the others." He grasped her shoulders and spun her around on the spot, leaning closely over her shoulder, mouth only a few centimeters from her ear as he spoke, slightly quieter than before, a new charge of intimacy entering their posture as he hovered about her, much too close for the claim of being "just friends" but still they acted as though it was completely normal.

Martha thought she saw Rose's mother look a tiny bit horrified at the way the man had positioned himself, just for a second.

The Doctor pointed directly at Jackie purposefully. "The only one who hasn't been through the Void - your mother, first time she's looked normal in her life." He muttered into Rose's ear, making her giggle as she turned back to face him.

"Oi!" Jackie protested, though not getting a response as the Doctor dashed to the clear white wall and area, Rose following a few paces behind as she skipped up to him, holding the glasses to her face.

Martha heard a strangled cough of laughter from the breaking Time Lord beside her and shifted a step closer to him, once again offering silent support as she heard the hidden, wet sob in the laughter as he raised a hand to his mouth to stop the noise, obviously seeing Rose doing such a… "Rose" thing, so carefree and innocent; it must have set him off, walls breaking slowly.

She couldn't stand to think how bad it was going to get.

"The Daleks lived inside the Void. They're bristling with it. Cybermen, all of them. I just open the Void, end of verse. The Void stuff gets sucked back inside."

Rose scrunched up her face, getting into the explanation as she cried triumphantly at him. "PULLING them all in."

"Pulling them all in!" The Doctor made the same hand gestures as Rose as they giggled with each other, him moving back towards her.

Almost looking embarrassed for interrupting the very unique flow of the conversation Mickey hesitated in speaking. "Sorry... what's - what's the Void?" He looked as though he felt extremely stupid for having to ask the question, especially when it took the Doctor a second to comprehend there were people there that didn't understand what was going on. Martha knew how the other man felt, she was sure if she hung around the Doctor and Rose for more than a day, the way the girl could keep up with him, she'd feel like a complete idiot too.

"The dead space; some people call it 'Hell'."

Mickey grinned and chuckled. "So, you're sending the Daleks and Cybermen to Hell…" he turned to the other young man beside him. "Man, I told you he was good."

Rose spoke up again, her voice distinctly less jovial than before, smile gone replaced with a contemplative look as she searched the Doctor's eyes for something to deny her words. "But it's like you said, we've all got Void stuff, me too 'cause we went to that parallel world." She flexed her fingers, obviously seeing something through the glasses before pulling them off, looking even more distressed when she looked back up at the Doctor, who was now standing right beside her. "We're all contaminated, we'll get pulled in."

The Doctor stared seriously at her; emotions flickering in his eyes in such a way that Martha could tell he was trying to suppress them. "That's why you've got to go."

"Reboot in two minutes." Martha shivered again and the Doctor flinched, clenching his eyes shut for a second before snapping them back open, panic oversetting him as soon as his eyes lost sight of her. He kept every muscle tensed, prepared and hard so that he wouldn't go to her.

Rose stared at him, uncomprehending as Martha felt tears well in her eyes; the look she was giving him was as though she literally couldn't grasp what he was saying because it was impossible in her mind.

"Back to Pete's world." He turned to Pete and became momentarily playful again, pointing at Rose's father. "Hey, we should call it that: 'Pete's World'." He turned back to Rose and it was clear the lighthearted emotion was completely faked as his eyes fell upon her and his whole air went slack again. They looked into each others eyes with searching, identical expressions, looking more like each other than ever; but this time it definitely wasn't a good thing. Martha could see the glassy sheen in both their eyes and she knew that the other girl already understood what he was about to suggest, she just couldn't accept it, like maybe if he was forced to he wouldn't say it. But it didn't happen that way, it never would with the Doctor; he did what he had to. "I'm opening the Void, but only on this side. You'll be safe on that side."

"And then you close it… for good?" Pete asked, looking between the two just like everyone else, looking regretful to have broken up the moment.

The Doctor looked up at him while Rose just kept looking at the Time Lord's face, expression growing more devastated every second he didn't deny what she was thinking he meant, because she knew that he knew.

"The breach itself is soaked in Void Stuff, in the end it'll close itself. And that's it. Kaput."

"But you stay on this side?" Her voice was approaching a mumble; adopting the sound that one could tell was only a second from breaking. The Doctor looked at her, still not denying anything.

The Doctor watched it all, remembering the emotions, actually naively thinking she _might _stay there. He now only wished he would have at least held her in his arms one last time, but he had been evading her. He didn't want to touch her, avoided all contact, because he knew if he had felt her, even just once more, he wouldn't have been able to go through with it; the look in her eyes was bad enough, all of his own emotions being thrown back at him.

"But you'll get pulled in," Mickey stated what everyone was thinking, the Doctor in the image swallowing heavily as the air around them became thick with tension.

The Doctor held Rose's gaze for a moment before his eyes ripped from her and he ran over to the magnets, not looking back. Rose stayed put, not moving an inch expect for her eyes that were following his every move, all the others looking between the two, just as fascinated and terrified as Martha to see what would happen next.

Rose looked as though she had been slapped in the face, the Doctor never meeting her eyes again as he moved about the room and continued to speak.

"That's why... I got these. I'll just have to hold on tight, I've been doing it all my life."

Rose voice was as close to a monotone as Martha had ever heard it as she begged with her eyes for him not to do this. "I'm supposed to go."

The Doctor dropped the magnets to the floor again and rushed to a computer, looking at the screen with more intensity than was needed; it was obvious he was expending a great amount of energy to keep from looking back at her. "Yeah."

"To another world, and then it gets sealed off."

"Yeah." Everyone watched in silence and Martha could hear the Doctor's breath get shakier as the seconds went on. She looked over and she could see his hands clenched and a wild look in his eye, it wouldn't be long before he wouldn't be able to hold back. Martha steeled herself for a second and breathed deeply.

_I can do this._

"Forever." The Doctor remembered that moment, almost above all else, at least to that point. It was the first time she had ever used that word with such devastating connotations. She had said it multiple times to him, talking about being together forever but now… now its meaning was exactly the opposite; being separated forever. And that was so heart breaking he was surprised he hadn't folded at the time, just like he was a second away from doing now.  
Rose let out a humorless laugh, apparently finding the idea absurd and unthinkable. "That's not going to happen."

A sudden crash from outside shook the building and it spurred Pete into action, talking briskly and walking across the room to stand by the wall with the rest of the people from the parallel world, plus Jackie.

"We haven't got time to argue, the plans works, we go in. You too, all of us." Rose spun around her anger surfacing.

"No, I'm not leaving him!" She demanded with her tone and it was obvious to everyone there was no way she was going voluntarily.

"I'm not going without her," Jackie insisted, pulling back from Pete who looked extremely annoyed, not all that sympathetic to the situation. Martha took an immediate disliking to him in that moment.

"Oh my God, we're going!" Jackie glared at him.

"I've had twenty years without you, so button it. I'm not leaving her."

Rose stepped forward to her, not watching the Doctor, who Martha could see was looking even more miserable behind her, staring at the back of her head as his hand gradually reached deep into his pocket. "You've got to," Rose insisted.

"Well, that's tough!"

"Mum-"

"Reboot in one minute."

This time her voice shook and trembled with the effort it took to suppress her tears. "I've had a life with you for nineteen years. But then I met the Doctor and all the things I've seen him do for me, for you, for all of us... for the whole... stupid planet and every planet out there. He does it alone, mum." The Doctor silently pulled out a yellow button from the pocket, the same sort everyone else was wearing around their necks and Martha brought a hand to her throat, lips quivering at the absolutely heart wrenching look on his faces as he painstakingly slowly walked towards the love of his life without her noticing.

"But not anymore," she stepped backwards towards him, inadvertently making it easier for him to make her break the promise that was in her words, had always been in her words. "'Cause now he's got me."

Martha couldn't suppress the gasping, very soft sob that escaped her as the Doctor looped the chain around Rose's neck, the girl having enough time to half turn, meeting his eyes once more and gasp out "What're you-" before vanishing right in front of them.

Martha spun to look at the Doctor fury burning in her eyes that only lasted a millisecond when she saw the two, tiny tears making their way down his cheeks, eyes more dead than she had ever seen them. She gasped again and reached out, taking hold of one of his hands, not taking it as a personal insult when it didn't unclench to hold hers back but leaving hers to rest on it, offering silent strength that, while she wished it would, probably wouldn't help all that much soon; she knew it wasn't over.

She looked back as he stepped forward, eyes glittering in the light that didn't seem to suit the situation at all. He didn't bother to wipe away the tears or try to hide them from her; there would be no point in about a minute. He watched in awe as she left her family without a moments pause to go back to him, never feeling more thankful or in love in his long life.

Rose was looking around the much more messy room. She grabbed at the button on her chest and muttered, "Oh no you don't. He's not doing that to me again." She pressed the button and disappeared without a single look back.

Martha gaped. Even with Rose's all consuming love for the Doctor she didn't understand how the girl had left her family so easily, like they were nothing. Suddenly, thoughts and words fluttered through her head, reminding her. She had already done it multiple times; even before she knew anything about the alien she had chosen him over her loyal, long term boyfriend and family, and after that she had constantly risked her life without pause, not warning her family back on Earth that it might be the last time they ever saw her before she jumped head first into the danger.

Still, even with all of it Martha couldn't quite get a handle on what such a blatant action meant, how much it said to both the people she left and the Doctor.

She held her breath as the scene reformed to be back in the room with the Doctor, Rose reappearing on the same spot.

"I think this is the on switch," she looked around again appearing shocked that it had worked but still slightly happier than before while Martha felt a huge wave of relief sweep through her, even though she fully understood it wouldn't last.

The Doctor started at the computer and looked up, looking her up and down as if to make sure she was real.

And that was exactly what he was doing; he recalled the feeling, thinking maybe sending her away was the last straw and now he was hallucinating. He had been angry on the outside but inside was nothing more than a mess of relief and love so strong it threatened to bowl him over.

The Doctor walked towards her and roughly grabbed her shoulders, bending low to be eye level with her, faces only centimeters apart as they again looked at each other intensely, now alone with no reason to hold back the feelings that were now spilling out of their eyes. Martha was sure, even while the touch was as though he was trying to drum some sense into her, that Rose leant into his grasp, face not showing any regret or sadness for what she had just taken herself away from.

"Once the breach collapses, that's it. You will never be able to see her again, your own mother!" Martha tightened her grip, which had now slid to the Doctor's upper arm as she felt him strain lightly against her, like he was trying to go to Rose, comfort her or something of the like. She knew she had to stop him, at least for as long as possible; it wouldn't do him any good to let him forget that she wasn't real.

Rose spoke to him calmly, voice still trembling, though now it seemed as though it was for a different reason as her gaze slipped once or twice down to his lips, look involuntary, while he returned the favor. "I made my choice a long time ago, and I'm never gonna leave you."

The Doctor continued staring at her for a moment, stunned and it seemed as though everything stopped, just for a moment. It was obvious, though she hadn't seen it, that Rose had promised things like that many times before but it was also obvious that the Doctor never would have believed her; after all, she was sure other companions had promised the same many times but they had all left him. But now she had sacrificed her old life completely for him. Now she had no family, no close friends, no other attachments in that universe except for him and it was clear her was astonished by the fact she didn't regret it at all, that she thought he was actually _worth _all that.

He gently released his grip, still staring.

"So what can I do to help?"

The computer interrupted their heated staring contest and Rose blinked. "Systems rebooted. Open access." She stubbornly held the Doctor's gaze until, finally, he gave in.

He pulled away from her and stood up straight, pointing to one of the computers. "Those co-ordinates over there, set them all at six." Rose did as she was told and Martha was keenly aware of the way the Doctor still watched her every more, like he was figuring out whether he should say something more or not.

His expression turned harder and he called to her, sounding, for the first time in Martha's recollection, angry at his young companion. "And hurry up."

The Doctor flinched at hearing his own tone, internally reprimanding his for ever speaking to her like that. Oh, but if he had only know that those were going to be their last moments… everything would have been so different. He would have pulled her into his arms and refused to let go. He would have smiled and laughed with her. He would have kissed her just one last time, told her that he loved her more than anything and he would always find a way back to her, no matter what. He convulsively swallowed and his breath hitched as the scene kept moving, hands running violently through his hair as they got closer. He wanted everything to stop, he didn't want to go through this again. He felt vicious sobs rising in his throat but felt the need to hold them back for as long as he possibly could, even if that was for only a few more seconds.

Rose leaned over the computer and took her button from around her neck, glancing at the Doctor nervously as she carried out his instruction diligently.

Her eyes widened and Martha gulped, stepping even closer to the Doctor because of what they both knew was coming. "We've got Cybermen on the way up."

The Doctor ran to her and looking over her shoulder at the computer. "How many floors down?"

"Just one."

The Doctor tapped another command on the laptop making the computer pipe up again. "Levers operational." The Doctor grinned and Martha grimaced; if he knew what was coming he'd never have such an expression. _They really had no idea, _she regretfully realized there had been no warning to whatever was about to happen to Rose, _no time to say good bye._

Rose saw his familiar grin and returned it. "That's more like it, bit of a smile. The old team." She looked up at him with sparkling eyes expecting this to be just like every other time they had saved the planet.

He picked up the magnets again and trotted back over to her. "Hope and Glory, Mutt and Jeff, Shiver and Shake!" He played along.

Rose's eyebrows rose in amusement and the mischievousness in her eyes showed she couldn't resist. "Which one's Shiver?"

"Oh, I'm Shake." He handed one of the black magnets to her and Martha choked out a laugh at the banter; it was so familiar and comforting. _False hope, _she couldn't help but think bitterly.

It what seemed only like a second they had both attached them to the wall next to the levers on opposite sides of the room and Martha's gut suddenly swirled uncomfortably, like everything was going to fast. She had no doubt the Doctor was feeling the same way.

"Press the red button," the Doctor called across the room, watching carefully to make sure she could do it alright.

Once she did he spoke fast. "When it starts, just hold on tight. Shouldn't be too bad for us but the Daleks and the Cybermen are steeped in Void Stuff. Are you ready?" They both moved the step or two to the levers and grabbed the tops, looking at each other in readiness and Martha gasped in and held a deep breath. She felt the Doctor struggle more against her and had to grab his arm with two hands, still trying to hold him back.

Rose looked up and out the window where three Daleks suddenly appeared. "So are they." Fear drenched her voice and Martha and the Doctor saw her grip on the lever become tighter.

"Let's do it!" He Doctor cried, pushing on his lever as Rose followed his example and did the same, waiting till they were firmly in an upright position and leaping over to the magnets, clutching tightly as the wind picked up and the first Daleks and Cybermen flew through the room.

"Online."

The light shone and the wind howled all around them yet didn't affect them in any way and even with all the noise Martha panicked when she heard the Doctor.

"No," he whispered desperately, straining further against Martha's hands as the last of his reason and common sense left him, agony written on his face as the scene became entirely too familiar.

Martha mentally called out to the TARDIS in fear and helplessness.

_What should I do?' _She yelled in her mind.

_Anything you can, _was all the response she gained and she let out a rough sob of frustration.

The Doctor in the image shouted through the room, voice resonating gleefully. "The breach is open! Into the Void! Ha!" Rose smiled across at the Doctor as they were billowed by the wind.

The real Doctor's eyes flung over to himself, eyes ablaze with fury and self-hatred as he struggled against his companion, pulling her forward a step by pure force. "Do something!" He screamed uselessly at the other Doctor, eyes shooting helplessly between him and Rose, who even now was being swept up by the wind easier than the Doctor. "Help her!"

Martha wasn't sure who that was directed at but she thought it was to anyone that would listen. Tears slipped down her cheeks as she wished fervently that she could do something, anything to wipe the look off his face and save him from all this pain. She cried harder when there was a small explosion of sparks to Rose's side of the room and her lever moved back into the 'off' position, the smiles fading from their faces.

Doctor turned to Martha for a second, eyes burning into hers, begging her for something that she couldn't give.

"I'm… I'm sorry." He slumped in her grasp for a second before tensing up and pulling anew when the computer called.

"Offline."

"Turn it on!" The other Doctor shouted to Rose, only just audible. Martha wanted to scream at her not to, to just hold onto the magnet because the flow of Daleks and Cybermen was already slowing down and maybe they didn't need it anymore but she didn't, stumbling again with the force it took holding the Doctor back.

"Doctor please," she cried out, knowing even if he could consciously hear her it wouldn't do any good.

As Rose reached for the lever whilst trying to maintain her grip on the clamp, it being just slightly too far away making her strain to reach it and eventually falling onto it, Martha heard the Doctor's emotions increase exponentially, his sobs now ripping through his throat as he called out to his love.

"ROSE!" The other Doctor watched, full of dread but not nearly aware of how bad it would get. Rose whimpered as she struggled with the lever.

"I've got to get it upright!" She shouted at the Doctor courageously struggling to get her feet to find purchase of the slippery floor, finally pushing it upwards, and groaning with the effort. She managed to push the lever upright. The Doctor watched, mouth open to breath heavily as he looked a second away from leaving his own lever to go to her.

Martha listened intently to her own Doctor, mind running a million miles a minute to try and figure out a way to keep him grounded. He had stopped screaming but she was close enough to hear his whimpered words.

"Rose no please, let it go… Please."

"Online and locked." The computer registered emotionlessly, seeming inappropriate at the time. The suction increased once more and Rose was dragged from her feet, left to clutch desperately at the lever but being pulled forcefully towards the Void, fingers slipping with every pasting millisecond.

Martha saw what was about to happen as the Doctor screamed over to her, "Rose, hold on!" and in a single moment of indecision her grip on her Doctor accidently loosened and he wrenched himself from her grasp.

The Void pulled at Rose and she winced and cried out with the effort to hold on as the Doctor lunged towards her.

"HOLD ON!" The other Doctor screamed even louder, voice hoarse and horrified. She could see it; he was only a second away from letting go of his own just so he could reach her and do something.

Rose moaned, her strength almost spent as one Doctor stared at her in absolute terror, horribly powerless, reaching out to her in vain, almost slipping from his own, while the other picked himself up and ran towards her, face screwed up in an emotional overload, tears still making watery tracks on his face.

Everything seemed to move in slow motion as Martha, totally helpless to do anything except scream for the Doctor to come back, watched as with one last cry, Rose's grip finally slipped. She was pulled inexorably towards the Void, crying out, both Doctor's screaming her name as she was pulled away from them, the real Doctor's right hand outstretched, fingers visibly clenching as they passed through Rose's still reaching hand, the force of not touching anything sending him to his knees as he watched helplessly.

"NOOOOOO!" He yelled as he fell to his knees, screaming in desperation with his arm _still _outstretched towards the scene as Rose's father showed up for a millisecond, gabbing Rose and disappearing with her as the wind died down, Rose only having a split moment in time to look back over her shoulder at the Doctor one last time as they disappeared from each others lives. His cheeks were wet with tears that were still falling and features mangled so much that his face was barely recognizable as the usually bouncy Time Lord.

Martha slowly approached and crouched near him, not having any idea what to do and letting a small sob of fear and vulnerability escape her. She couldn't stand to see him in so much pain and screamed at the TARDIS for the first time as the scene continued, going over to Rose's side of the wall.

"Take me back! Take me back!" Rose was hysterical as she pounded at the wall uselessly, crying even more, make-up smudging as her vision undoubtedly blurred and her hand began to burn with the force she was hitting them with.

"STOP IT! IT'S TOO MUCH! LOOK AT WHAT YOU'RE DOING TO HIM!" Martha cried up at the ceiling, both unable to keep watching the devastation left behind in the memories as it switched momentarily back to the Doctor who walked solemnly up to the wall and pressed his face and hand against it, trying to feel Rose, like his existence depended on it.

The TARDIS didn't respond, only hummed mournfully; it was the first time she had seen her Doctor fully mourn the loss of their Rose. _Watch Martha, _she whispered in the companions mind.

Martha looked up, moving a tiny bit away from the Doctor whose sobs had died down and was now cradling his head in his hands, almost silent apart from the shaky breaths still escaping him. He knew what the TARDIS was showing Martha and he didn't need to look up and see it, he already knew she had been there, just as she had known he had been. Their inexplicable connection ran deeper than should have been possible, which was just one more reason being so very far away from her for so long was so hard and why it was impossible to "get over" her. The hoe she left when she was gone from his life was not only in his hearts, but in his mind, the feeling akin to what the death of the Time Lord's did to him. With her absence from the universe also came the complete absence of her from his mind and he loathed it, it was slowly driving him insane.

Martha watched in absolute shock, not bothering to wipe the mostly dried tears on her face as she watched on, knowing that what she was seeing was so far beyond what she thought was possible and so far beyond coincidence.

As if Rose sensed his presence on the other side Rose suddenly pressed her cheek against the wall, sobs quieting for a moment, as though listening for him, palm matching his.

The scene flicked back and forth for a moment between them to illustrate the point to Martha as they breathed deeply and calmly, obviously feeling each other.

Before it faded the last thing it showed was the Doctor walked dejectedly and silently away while Rose dropped her position, looking identical to the Doctor in every way and tried to keep breathing, like even that was a struggle now, a final sob escaping her.

Martha turned back to the Doctor, barely even noticing that sometime she had stood up and walked forward. When she turned she was shocked to find him standing there, unmoving, eyes dead except for the deep pleading he shot at her. She frowned in confusion honestly not understanding what he wanted her to do.

Figuring it was all over and finally, regretfully, understanding why he was the way he was, she walked slowly up to him as not to startle him, because he didn't look quite like he was all there, she reached her arms up around his neck and shoulders and pulled him to her in a comforting hug.

His arms rose to encase her waist as he squeezed tightly and let his head fall to her shoulder, head facing away and eyes closed. She didn't know if he was trying to suppress his emotions further or if he was trying to imagine she was Rose, but either way she didn't complain, letting him take from her whatever he needed.

She just sighed and held onto him tightly till he loosened his own grip and turned his head towards her ear.

"I'm sorry." His voice still shook and was strangled and she gently brought one hand up to ran comfortingly through his hair.

"You've got nothing to apologize for, I should be one..." She cut herself off, not wanting to make it about her. She held on a second longer and then felt a wave of fresh despair as he whispered one last thing in her ear before letting go completely and turning away from her, the room growing brighter again.

"It's not over."

She opened her eyes and turned to see they were on a beach. The Doctor was already a few paces away, approaching Rose who stood meters from her family and Mickey, looking around with hope and desperation, waiting for something.

This time she didn't stop him as he ambled towards the girl, hands back to being stuffed in pockets, though the tears were only lingering a tiny distance from the surface. Martha stood a few meters back as the Doctor appeared, translucent, and Rose walked up to him, the real Doctor coming to a stop just to the other Doctor's side, eyes, one last time, soaking in everything of Rose's face.

Martha listened carefully, not knowing what to expect.

Her voice was almost steady when she asked the first question. "Where are you?"

The Doctor's voice sounded distant, almost echoing, when he responded. "Inside the TARDIS." His hands were stiff by his side, a posture Martha had seen many times that led her to understand he was trying with everything he had not to reach out and touch the blonde. He took a very deep breath as he continued explaining, the real Doctor not moving an inch. "There's one tiny little gap in the universe left, just about to close. And it takes a lot of power to send this projection; I'm in orbit around a super nova." He laughed humorlessly. "I'm burning up a sun just to say goodbye."

_Oh my God. _She thought of the sort of implications that could have on their universe and then understood that he would probably do literally anything to get her back, short of destroying their entire universe.

Rose shook her face and her voice shook just a bit more. "You look like a ghost."

"Hold on." He took out his sonic screwdriver and pointed it at something that they couldn't see, suddenly becoming much more life like.

Rose walked even closer to him and Martha's heart broke further when, at the same time as she rose a hand to try and touch his face, the real Doctor raised his left hand, reaching out to come into contact with her fingertips, obviously not gaining a reaction of any sort.

"I'm here Rose." Martha almost couldn't hear his whispered words but felt a lump lodge in her throat as they slipped past his lips and his eyes welled again, hand moving to appear to stroke Rose's face before falling to his side.

"Can I t-?"

The Doctor looked regretful as his face fell at her question. "I'm still just an image. No touch."

"Can't you come through properly?" Her voice was louder now but its strength waned, cracks appearing as her hair swept in front of her face.

The Doctor shook his head infinitesimally. "The whole thing would fracture. Two universes would collapse." The real Doctor's frame shook; if she had asked him two just once more than she had he would have, they both knew when she came back at him she was only half joking. For a split second he wished he had done it… he just wanted her back in his arms, more than anything in the universes.

"So?" Martha knew it was only half joking as the Doctors smiled at her, the look on both their faces somehow still dead serious as he didn't respond directly to that, knowing it was a dangerously tempting subject.

"Where are we? Where did the gap come out?" His voice was falsely lighter as he looked around at their surroundings.

"We're in Norway."

"Norway. Right."

"About fifty miles out of Bergen. It's called 'Dårlig Ulv Stranden'." Martha frowned in confusion when her Doctor huffed out a half laugh, half sob, hand running through his hair. She was glad to see some of his old habits resurfacing again; maybe he would be alright after all this, she just wanted it all to end, to go back to how it was before. _I should have listened when people said ignorance is bliss._

"Dalek?" He had obviously misheard.

"Dårl-IG. It's Norwegian for 'bad'. This translates as 'Bad Wolf Bay'." They both laughed lightly at that but sobered almost immediately, Martha wished they'd stop wasting their time was such trivialities.

"How long have we got?"

"About two minutes," the real Doctor whispered brokenly with the scene, head hanging a bit lower before he picked it back up to gaze longingly at Rose once again.

"I can't think of what to say!" Rose looked exasperated and amazed that she had actually said that as she swept her hair out of her face.

Martha caught both of the Doctor watched the movement of her hand, both of them obviously wishing they were the ones to do it for her.

The Doctor laughed too and then glanced over at where Jackie, Pete and Mickey were waiting by the Jeep.

"You've still got Mr. Mickey, then?" Martha rolled her eyes not that surprised that even in the worse situations the Doctor could manage to sound jealous.

"There's five of us now. Mum, dad, Mickey... and the baby." Martha's eyes widened, at both her words and the Doctor's response.

"You're not?"

_They couldn't have… could they? _She shook herself. _No, he's just surprised because he thought she had moved on… that's what has him upset... But- That's. what. Has. Him. Upset. _She told herself sternly, knowing she was probably worrying for nothing. There's no way the Doctor would have let _that _happen.

"No." Rose laughed teasingly at him. "It's mum." Martha breathed a sigh of relief and saw the Doctor do the same as he laughed back, looking over at Jackie. "She's three months gone. More Tyler's on the way."

"And what about you, are you?"

"Yeah, I'm - I'm back working in the shop."

The Doctor nodded and smiled gently. "Oh, good for you." Martha rolled her eyes yet again, he was so obvious some times. She was amazed to see that even when they were both obviously heartbroken they were still constantly teasing each other, laughing even though it was only half hearted. She was regretful as she watched her Doctor and saw no hints of laughter on his face. She wasn't sure she'd see it there again until he found her.

Rose laughed and for a moment it was just like old times. "Shut up, no I'm not. There's still a Torchwood on this planet, it's open for business." Tears once again welled in her eyes as her voice shook again. "I think I know a thing or two about aliens."

The Doctor smiled radiantly at her, Martha seeing even her Doctor looking so proud at her words, more so than ever. "Rose Tyler: Defender of the Earth."

At the smile melted away there was another lingering look and silence between them and in some ways it was the most intimate she had ever seen them, the raw emotions in their eyes totally open for the other to see.

"You're dead," he gulped painfully, obviously finding it difficult to say even though she was right in front of him, "officially, back home. So many people died that day and you've gone missing. You're on a list of the dead.

Rose began to cry quietly, hand repressing the noise threatening of escape her.

The Doctor looked at her, only a second from breaking down in much the same way as his eyes retained his pride and regret from moments ago. "Here you are. Living a life day after day. The one adventure I can never have."

She heard the unspoken _we _between them when he said that and if she had any doubt that's what he meant it was erased when, while watched her Doctor mouth the lines along with the scene, she saw him say it. The one adventure _we _can never have.

Rose sobbed, voice forced out now between them, needed to get out as much as possible. The real Doctor fidgeted slightly and Martha knew his reason had returned and he was stopping himself from trying to touch her and pull her to him again. "Am I ever gonna see you again?"

The Doctor's voice was quieter than it had ever been as he said the words he so clearly didn't want to. "You can't."

"What're you gonna do?"

"Oh, I've got the TARDIS, same old life, last of the Time Lords."

Rose looked regretful now, looking at him pleadingly. "On your own?"

The Doctor nodded silently, still watching her with compassion and shared pain. Martha wondered how long he had been on his own before he had found her at that hospital. For all anyone knew it could have been years, decades even.

Rose surveyed him, hopelessly heartbroken as her tears fell thick and fast, mouth gasping in air as she working herself up to something, the Doctor waiting patiently. Martha knew what it was when her Doctor leaned forward almost unnoticeably in anticipation.

"I lo-" She choked on her words because of her tears before she could finish her sentence. She took another moment to regain her composure, and then -

"I love you." A shuddering sob escaped her as she broke down even further, the Doctor gazing at her with heart-rending tenderness and devotion. Martha had no doubt that he would return the sentiment and held her breath, wishing and hoping that just this once they got what they deserved instead of having _everything _ripped unfairly away from them.

"Quite right, too," the Doctor responded softly, Rose nodding and smiling at him through her tears as he continued to gaze at her. "And I suppose," he gathered himself, voice becoming thick with his own tears. "If it's my last chance to say it," he paused a moment, eyes locked with hers.

Martha watched as her Doctor whispered the words, much to quietly for her to hear and she knew and cried for them again. She knew her, and their, wish wouldn't come true. Something was going to go wrong, again and she hated it, suddenly filled with rage at the universe.

"Rose Tyler-" his mouth just formed the word 'I' as he faded away into nothingness and Rose's face crumbled into complete devastation, face screwing up against the pain that was obviously threatening to overwhelm her as she sobbed into her hands.

The real Doctor reached out to her face again as the scene changed and he dropped his hand uselessly to the side and turned his back, walking slowly away, tears steady making new rivers on his face again.

Martha watched the last remnant of a scene as it showed the Doctor inside the TARDIS, everything as silent as the TARDIS could be, as he stood completely alone, two lonely tear tracks staining his face as he mouthed the words he never got to say silently and he closed his eyes, visibly only a second from collapsing. He slowly rubbed his face and went to the controls, flipping a few switches and then, when he looked up, there it was.

Just like that Rose's Doctor had vanished and hers remained; cold, empty and shut off, no true emotion ever bleeding through.

_Except for right now, _Martha thought, still in tears, as her eyes tracked the Doctor as he reached the now visible door to the room, pulling it forcefully open, it opening the first time this time, and his disappeared from the room without another word or a look back.

She knew he needed to compose himself for the talk that was to come and she also knew he'd be waiting in the console room when she felt ready. With that knowledge she let herself back up to the still present stone wall and slide down it to the ground, head falling to her hands that rested on her knees as she silently wept and regained her composure after seeing the most terrible thing she'd ever witnessed.

_Now you know, _the TARDIS whispered to her. She sent her last two words out through her whole self so both would hear them. _I'm sorry. _

**A/N I really hope I did this up to standard but I really have no idea if I have so I can only hope.**

**Come on guys PLEASE! I got 29 reviews for the vote, 12 for the last chapter. That is awesome but come on, if 29 people can vote than, at least for this one chapter, can everyone PLEASE review! I'd love it so much if I got that many reviews!**

**ONLY HALF OF THIS ONE IS CHECKED. I JUST FINISHED THE SECOND HALF AND REALLY WANTED TO PUT IT UP TONIGHT FOR YOU GUYS. IT'S 11:30PM HERE AND I HAVE TO GET UP EARLY TOMORROW SO I DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO PROOF-READ. HOPE EVERYTHING IS OKAY.**

**PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW! I WANT REVIEWS MORE THAN EVER SO ****PLEASE****! **

**Thank you,**

**Metal.**


	15. Go On

**A/N Okay. This is the last chapter for those of you who didn't want a reunion fic. It'll probably only be short… I don't even know what'll happen in it yet 'because I haven't thought about it so this chapter is me pretty much writing as the ideas come to mind. Did you know when I started this I only expected it to be about 30, 000 words long? So much for that :P**

**Also, I'll be changing the genre of this story, once I get into the reunion part to Hurt/Comfort/Romance… just thought you might like to know for some reason :P**

**I hope you like it and thank you for reading.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any rights to Doctor Who, I only wish endlessly that I did.**

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Chapter 14: Go On**

Martha walked slowly through the TARDIS' corridors in the direction of the console room, feet dragging as her mind still raced with everything that had just happened. It was hard for her to believe that only a few hours ago, though it felt much longer, she had been doing this exact same thing, but this time it was stunning how different it felt.

There was no room left inside her for resentment and jealousy, her whole body was still aching with the emotional stress it had been put through and she couldn't imagine the sort of pain the Doctor was in, even if he was a Time Lord.

She could almost physically feel the understanding wash through her, mind buzzing with self-deprecating thoughts as she ran a self-conscious hand through her hair to make sure it was still in place, having re-done it before leaving her room.

She had stayed in there, curled up, and then staring into nothing, for at least an hour because; although she pulled herself mostly together on the outside after about twenty minutes she knew that the Doctor would need more time. If she had any doubt of that, when she had first opened the door and left the room half an hour ago, the sight of the distant dark-rose colored door in the same corridor, like a warning, was all she needed to be sure.

So now she had been back to her room for another half hour, until the TARDIS mentally urged her to the console room, of which she was now standing just outside the door.

She took a breath and pushed on the door, letting it freely swing open as she stepped through, finding the familiarity of the room comforting and letting a small, content smile cross her lips.

The Doctor was inside. He circled the rotor without enthusiasm; taking small steps with his head lowered as he flicked switches and pressed buttons. He didn't seem to notice that she had entered, nor when she walked across the room and placed herself quietly onto the captains seat, laps clasped together in her lap and her back rigid, waiting for something though she had no idea what to expect. Even after seeing everything, though she understood the Doctor's and Rose's relationship, the man himself was still a complete mystery to her, one which she was sure only one girl had ever really figured out.

She waited, watching as he refused to acknowledge her entrance, head staying down in faux concentration as his brows knitted in a deep frown, face now clear of tear tracks but the tenseness in the rest of his body still not relieved.

Her eyes tracked him and her breathing almost stopping in anticipation as he paused and sucked in a deep breath, back to her as he gazed meaninglessly down at the monitor.

His voice was low, defeated but with no sign of weakness as he spoke without turning to her. "I don't want to do this Martha." He made a move that was almost a sway, revealing the left half of his face to her as his arm reached out towards the monitor, coming down on the portion of the console and gently picking up a small, square object she often saw him gazing at. She had also seen it every time they were in this room; always just to the left of the monitor on the console, face down so that one could only see a blank white sheet. She had been tempted to look so many times but knew from the worship and veneration he looked at it with that the idea would be the one step too far that would probably earn her banishment from the TARDIS; so she never did.

Now, as he looked down, pain closer to the surface in his eyes than usual, she knew what it was, what else could it be? She could see through the back the faint outline of two figures, arms wrapped around each other with, she assumed, huge cheesy smiles on their faces.

She nodded to his comment; knowing any response she could give would be superfluous. Instead she edged forward in her seat and sent him a comforting smile. "Doctor, how long did she travel with you?"

She was delighted when a tiny smile came to his face and he looked up at her finally, picture still clutched in one hand tightly, though h was careful not to crinkle it.

"A long time… but not long enough." He was happy in a strange way. He knew how much it had meant to Rose to know that, even after she was gone, she wouldn't be forgotten by him. To here another companion asking questions about her, _knowing _about her, it made a wave of pride and joy wash over him because he knew she was getting at least a little of what she had always wanted; she would live forever in the TARDIS, even if they never found their way back to each other.

Martha saw a range of emotions race across his expression and her took a shuddering breath, needing to get something out.

"Doctor, I'm so sor-" He held up a weary hand and shook his head.

"Martha, you don't have to apologize, nothing was your fault. I should have explained it to you-" but now it was his turn to get cut off as she made the same gesture at him.

"Please just let me say it." She waited until he sent a tiny nod in her direction, looking into her face again, arms crossed and leaning against the console; she was happy to see the familiar stance. "I should apologize. Yeah, you shouldn't have said some of the things you said to me, but people who are in so much pain, they always say and do things that they shouldn't."She took another breath. Though she knew she was speaking the truth it was still difficult for her to get out. "I should have understood. I knew at least that you had lost someone that you loved and I accused you of being oblivious and unfeeling and hurtful, but all along I was doing the same thing… But not _once _did you ever say anything, to me or anyone else." She swallowed but continued very quickly when he looked about to protest. "I've constantly seen the bad in you and I'm sorry, because you are one of the most amazing people I've ever met and you don't deserve everything that's happened. You might never have had the chance or strength to say it, to her or anyone else, but I know that you love her, and so does she." She struggled to finish when she saw tears reappearing in his gaze as his stance became a bit more lax.

She stood and walked slowly to him, looking up into his face. "I don't know how you'll do it but I want you to know; when you go to get her I'll help you in any and every way I can. And I can also promise Doctor that when you do find her, or even if she finds you in the end, she'll be waiting there for you, no matter how long it takes."

A single tear trailed from his eye and he reached down, pulling her into a tight hug as he buried his head in her shoulder. She reciprocated the blessed contact, wrapping her arms tightly about his shoulders, trying to reassure and anchor him.

"Thank you Martha." Though it didn't seem like enough the three words were all the Doctor could manage as he felt his throat being constricted with emotion. It felt good to be comforted and he hated it that some small part of him called out to him in rhythm with his hearts, that he would rather it be Rose in his arms. He was, of course, truly grateful for everything Martha had said to him but she still wasn't who he really _needed. _

He pulled regretfully away as they both felt the familiar jolt as the TARDIS landed, his mask now firmly back in place, though his smile was dulled almost to the point of being completely fake, she just smiled sadly back, knowing what he was doing and knowing there was nothing she could do to stop it.

"Where are we?" She asked as he walked back to the console and looked down. It hadn't been a crash landing or anything, which means he had sent them here, his button pushing and lever pulling not as random as she had believed them to be.

"There we go, perfect landing, which isn't easy in such a tight spot." He responded casually. His normal enthusiasm still wasn't present but all the same she marveled at how easy it seemed to be for him to go back to being the usual adventurer.

She swallowed and tried to push everything away and try and concentrate on giving him what he needed, which at the moment, seemed to be to get back to normal, at least for now to forget everything that had just happened.

"You should be used to tight spots by now. Where are we?" She asked again, more pointedly this time, still trying to get back into the swing of things. _God this man is difficult sometimes._

"The end of the line." His tone confused her but she rushed over to the doors anyway, brain still only half working and unbelieving she was being made to do this again so soon; she had expected a much longer, drawn out conversation. "No place like it."

She looked at him a final time and opened the doors as he nodded at her, solemn face making her very anxious. She looked around quickly as she stepped out and spun back to look at him at he too stepped out, fear rose in her as she struggled to keep breathing right.

He knew this was a bad thing to do, the TARDIS practically screaming at him in his head, but he didn't intend to do what either of them was assuming.

"Home. You took me home?"

"In fact, the morning after we left, so you've only been gone about 12 hours. No time at all, really." He looked around the room, still not finding it in himself to even pretend to be interested, face still bland in blankness.

"But all the stuff we've done; Shakespeare, New New York, old New York?" She gaped at him, praying he wasn't trying to do what she thought he was.

He sighed. "Yep, all in one night, relatively speaking. Everything should be just as it was; books, CDs, laundry."

As she disgustedly pulled the offending piece of laundry away from him and glared he decided to explain. In other circumstances he would have let her believe he was leaving her there but after everything that had just happened he couldn't do it. "Martha, I just need to be alone for a while. I was going to leave you here but... I'm too selfish for that because I'm going to need your help." She nodded, trying to be understanding but really needing him to explain more.

"I going to go away and I don't know how long it'll be for you, I might come back straight away but... I just need to do it." He was vaguely listening to a news report that was on her switched on television, ears pricking at something unusual the man on screen had said, but he didn't let her notice as he continued. "I'm sorry and I'm so thankful but I'll come back, I promise."

She simply nodded, knowing he wouldn't lie to her and not feeling all that bad about it, happy he was at least telling the truth. "Come back soon yeah?" He nodded sadly at her and left.

He wondered the Time Vortex for a long time, spoke to his TARDIS as she slowly brought him back to full sanity and they discussed plans and options, the old girl never giving him hope or encouragement were it would not be fruitful. But as the days past the more his confidence solidified and eventually he felt more like himself than he had since Canary Wharf.

After a few weeks, maybe even months he thought he was ready to go back and decided to return to the moment he left, not wanting to hurt Martha more than he already had. He knew that she now understood and accepted things about him much more than before but he decided it was best not to push his luck.

So, in much higher spirits than before he flew the TARDIS back to Martha's and popped his head out the window, glad he could now, finally give her a real smile because everything was possibly, if he worked hard enough for it, in his reach.

"No, I'm sorry. Did he say he was going to change what it means to be human?"

She didn't know how long he had been gone for and didn't ask; she just smiled back knowing that he had found something and was going to let her help him when he decided it was time to begin their biggest journey yet... After Lazarus obviously.

**A/N Corny ending but it got across what I wanted it to. I don't really know how good this chapter was, I hope it was okay. To be honest I really just wanted to get it out of the way so I could go onto the reunion.**

**I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION FOR EVERYONE! Not that it makes a huge difference but do you think it would be better to now write the reunion onto the end of this OR should I put the reunion in a different story as a sequel type thing?**

**Please vote; I know it pretty much doesn't make any difference but I'm weird about stuff like this.**

**TO THOSE OF YOU NOT READING THE REUNION: Thank you so so so so so much for reading and I hope no part of this story disappointed you. I loved all your feedback and hope you'll go on to read some of my other stories (I have 7 or 8 Doctor Who stories all together :D)**

**Please review!**


	16. Royalty

**A/N I am so so so so so so so so so sorry. I am grovelling at your feet for forgiveness and I swear I won't leave this story for this long again. For some reason this chapter was just unbearably difficult to write for me.**

**Okay, so obviously I'm adding it to the end but I'm taking a few people's advice and if it becomes more than four or five chapters long then I'm going to put it into a separate story as a sequel. I hope you like it and everything makes sense... not sure yet how it'll turn out 'cause I've still got a billion different ideas swirling around in my head. Updates might come a bit slower now because I really want to get everything right. **

**Also, all the stuff about the royal family is probably wrong, please don't say anything; I did as best as I could. Besides its a fan fiction, it doesn't have to be real XD **

**Disclaimer: As always, I don't own Dr. Who... really wish I didn't have to keep reminding myself by writing it own **

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Chapter 15: Royalty**

Martha walked into the TARDIS expecting to see the Doctor all ready to send them on their way into yet another adventure, but she was surprised. She walked to the top of the ramp and stared at him just as he was her. He stood in front of the console, leaning lightly against it with his arms hanging beside him, hand clutching the sides so tightly she could see the blood drain out of them from where she stood.

She had been prepared to walk into the TARDIS and tell him that she wanted to stay behind with her family, with Tom even though he couldn't remember her but the look on his face stopped her. She hadn't really expected happiness from him after everything that had happened but she had thought he'd be his usual hidden self, fake smile and endless babble to cover up his pain. But his face was serious, perhaps more so than she'd ever seen before and she gulped, having a feeling she already knew what he was going to say.

"Martha, I know you're going to leave... who wouldn't after that?" He asked rhetorically, shifting on his feet before pushing himself up and stepping towards her, meeting her eyes again after they wavered uncertainly. "I know it's a lot to ask but I don't know if I can do it on my own..." he decided to be honest with her now, even though it would probably scare her. "I don't know what I'll do if this... doesn't work and I'm on my own."

He looked down at the grating, partly in shame at having to admit such a thing, and she was the one to step forward this time, she swallowed heavily again and took a shuddering, nervous breath.

"It's time?" She was actually surprised he had waited this long, her having expected it the moment she had stepped back into the TARDIS after Lazarus.

He nodded and said nothing else because there was nothing else left to say. She felt the sudden need to see him dancing around the TARDIS as he had in the memories, to see a genuine smile on his face, she knew she wouldn't be able to leave him until she knew whether or not he had succeeded, and she had promised him she would be there.

She stepped up again, gently turned him around by his shoulder, gaining her a confused look as she pushed him so that he stumbled back to the console. He looked back at her and mock glared.

"Well come on then, no time to waste." His glare transformed into the most genuine smile she'd seen from him in months (not including the year that never was) and he slammed down a lever.

"Oh I'm ready." Martha felt as if the TARDIS was vibrating more than usual and realised how happy the ship would be to get Rose home as well. She heard the Doctor confirm her thoughts a second later as his grin widened even further, all doubt being forcefully pushed from his expression as he stroked the rotor and looked up. "We're going to get her girl."

As the TARDIS sent them sprawling into the console they knew they had hit ground and Martha suddenly felt extremely excited. It was happening so fast; she thought he would have explained himself first, sent them into the time vortex and told her the plan. But no, here they were about to step out, to what she didn't even know but she could practically feel his giddiness as he bounced about the room after collecting himself, picking up his long coat and pulling it on over his brown pin-striped suit.

"Wait, Doctor!" She had to practically scream to get his attention and stop him from sprinting out the doors of the TARDIS in anticipation. "Are you going to tell me what exactly we're doing?" He stopped and turned back to her, face serious again and nodded.

"Martha, half of this plan... isn't a plan. I had months to think about it when I left you, and then the year that never was. But half of it's just guess work." By the end of the sentence he was almost spitting out the words, his frustration evident as he ripped his hand through his hair and frowned. He hated that for once he didn't really _know _what he was doing, that he would have to rely on so many other people for this to even have a chance of working. He swallowed and continued. "I've explained to you before, that someone should never cross their own timeline otherwise a paradox could rip the entire universe apart. Well Martha," he stepped forward, watching her eyes closely to make sure she was still willing go through this insanity with him. "I'm breaking my own rules. After this stop we are going somewhere I've been before and I know I do it because I remember seeing myself... I remember wondering what could be so utterly terrible or undefeatable that I would have to seek the oldest and wisest mind to help me and cross my own timeline while doing it." His eyes had a faraway look and his voice grew distant, pausing for a second before his eyes snapped back to hers. "I should have known... I remember seeing you there as well."

He turned then and walked back to the doors, one hand on the door handle, ready to pull it open. "Are you ready to meet royalty Miss Jones?" He got a cocky grin on his face, the happiness returning, though Martha couldn't quite figure out if it was genuine or not. She nodded placatingly at him and bounded over to the door, stepping out as he pulled it open in tandem with her approach.

They stepped out and she hardly had any time to take in their surroundings as he pulled her quickly around a corner to come face to face with two stern looking guards at the door to a place Martha only ever dreamed of going.

"Hello there," the Doctor said cheerily. "I'm here to seek an audience with her highness, or any of the royals that might be home if that's not possible."

"State your business here before we throw you out for trespassing," one of them sneered at the two of them.

The Doctors smile dropped and he shoved his psychic paper under the others nose. They both immediately straightened and the one who had yet to speak stepped forward.

"Apologies, I will escort you inside Majesty. Please follow me."

They walked calmly through the doors of the magnificent white palace and as she turned her head to make sure they were far enough head of the guards Martha latched onto the Doctors arm and let out a quiet, but ecstatic, giggle of disbelief.

"I can't believe this!" She exclaimed as their escort left them to tell the Queen of her guests. Of all the places the quest to get Rose back would take them Martha never thought it would lead them here, into the halls of Buckingham Palace.

The Doctor grinned down at her and felt the giddiness welling up inside. Now he was finally putting the plan into action he was more nervous than he'd ever been, running through a thousand different scenarios in his head every second. But at the same time hope slammed upon him in a ferocious wave that was impossible to hold back and he was feeling more and more optimistic every minute.

"Now, what'd the Psychic paper tell them you are?" Martha asked, pointed her thumb over her shoulder at the guards stationed at the door.

The Doctor whipped the paper out and showed it to her with a grin. "King of Belgium... people seem to think I'm very... Belgium-y." Martha laughed at the sentence, another which got away from him.

"Right and who exactly are we here to see?"

"Like I told the guards, Princess Anne. Do you remember when Rose and I went to fight that werewolf; when we were going back to the TARDIS I remember Rose pointing out Princess Anne in particular. Didn't think much of it at the time but now, thinking back," a glitter of distant pride shone in his eyes, "she was very observant about certain things."

Martha gaped at him, half the time he didn't listen to a word she said, claiming that her human mind couldn't possibly add anything to his superior Time Lord intelligence; when he said it she knew he was only half joking. "How do you even remember that? How long ago was it for you? Two years?" She asked, taking a shot in the dark about how far back that adventure had been.

"Longer actually." The Doctor added absentmindedly, thinking of the months he spent first before he figured out how to send the projection to Norway, then the time between his meeting with Donna and his first meeting with Martha and lastly the months he spent in the TARDIS before he went back for Martha. Altogether it had been almost four years... if not more. He shoved his hands in his pockets as he turned to face her.

"Then how do you remember?" Martha asked again, honestly wanting to know.

"Well, because Rose said it." She simply looked at him for a moment, expecting more from him but her expectant shoulders dropped and she crossed her arms when he just stared at her silently.

"What? And you just remember everything she ever said?" She expected him to just laugh that off and tell her she was overreacting but was surprised when he got a thoughtful look on his face instead and raised a curious eyebrow.

"Yeah, I suppose I do yeah." The look on his face was so earnest she had to believe him and she looked away, wondering how much more of these sorts of things she could take. She swallowed down her unhelpful emotions and looked back at him, gesturing for him to continue back to his explanation and for them to start walking again.

"Anyway, I figured we wanted a later generation so I could be sure... also I really didn't want to have to go and try to convince Charles or Harry... William's just a bit too normal by human standards I think. So I just took a shot in the dark, had no idea if she'd actually be here or not but as it turns out, it's my lucky day... I always did like Tuesdays." As he finished talking the doors at the other end of the room opened and the Princess strode in, of course flanked on either side by yet more guards.

Martha felt a sudden stab of nervousness; it was, after all, royalty. What exactly was she meant to do?

"Oh yes Martha Jones," the Doctor continued quietly, grin widening as his eyes tracked the regal woman as she came towards them, "everything's coming up Doctor." As soon as he said it she saw the twinkle in his eye and knew he'd done it again, recycled a conversation from a different time, between two different people, perhaps to convince himself it would soon be the very same person by his side once again.

He opened his mouth to speak as the princess came to a halt in front of them, not entirely sure what he was going to say as he began to wish he had planned the details better. His eyes widened and his mouth snapped shut in shock as she fixed his problem for him.

"Doctor," the young brunette smiled at them both and stepped forward, pulling the Doctor, who was still in utter confused shock, into a friendly hug.

He wrapped his arms around her and awkwardly patted her on the back, sending Martha a look that clearly said he had as little of an idea to what was going on as she did.

He pulled away and gave the princess a polite smile and absentmindedly scratched his head. "Yes, hello! Sorry about this your highness but if you don't mind me asking, how exactly do you know me?" He raised his eyebrows in inquiry. This had happened before and he assumed his wonderfully intelligent future-self had come back to make this a speedier reunion. The very thought that it meant this all actually worked made his hearts stutter and his fingers twitch in nervous and impatient exhilaration. He could only hope he had also told her to expect something like this so he wouldn't have to explain the timey-wimeyness of the situation.

"Oh heavens, I apologise," the woman turned to her guards after sending a kind glance Martha's way in acknowledgement. "Luke, Mandel, do go fetch us some refreshments, I need a private word with our honourable guests."

They bowed stiffly and left without a word. "They seem like pleasant sort of fellows."

Martha looked over at him like he was insane. She couldn't pin point the last time, if ever, she had seen the Doctor look quite as... giddy as he was now, except perhaps for the memories. "Lovely," she said, playing along with him as they both turned their attention back on the royal woman a few feet from them.

She took a covert step closer to them and grasped the Doctors left wrist. "We must go before they come back or they'll never allow me to go with you." She interrupted before the Doctor could get out his next question as his lips formed around it. "I know enough to understand you have not yet met me Doctor and I know the task with which you need my assistance; we spend enough time together in the future that I understand you are to be trusted and you will have me back here before my guards realise I've gone but you must know Doctor, no version of you has, as yet, explained to me exactly what my part in all this is."

She started pulling them back towards the doors at a jog and slowed as they past the guards outside.

"Do you require an escort your highness?"

"No thank you, we will just be taking a stroll about the gardens," she answered stiffly.

They turned the corner and she didn't falter in her step as she saw the TARDIS, simply waited as the Doctor unlocked the door, nodded at his questioning look before he swung them open and all three of them stepped hurriedly inside.

The Doctor dashed to the console and sent them spiralling into the vortex before he turned back to his two companions. "Well, that didn't take as long as I thought," he stated, a bemused expression taking over his face.

"Yes well I must admit I am quite anxious to meet this Rose you seem to go on about." Something in the Doctors expression changed then, like his happiness froze in place and he was unsure as to whether it should prevail or be snuffed out.

"So you say we've meet in the future? Talked? Multiple times?" The princess just nodded at him, waiting. "And out of all those times you've never seen or met Rose?"

The woman looked taken aback for a moment then her eyebrows scrunched in confusion. "No, I don't suppose I have."

Martha walked over to the Doctor after a few moments of awkward, unhappy silence and reached out a hand to squeeze his arm and smile softly at him. "I'm sure it doesn't mean anything. There could be plenty of reasons for you not to have brought her."

The Doctor nodded and simply looked back at Ann. "So I suppose you'd be wanting an explanation right about now your highness, yes?"

The princess smiled. "There is no need to keep up with the formalities now Doctor and yes that would be prudent."

The pinstripe suited man walked towards her and gently grasped her right wrist, reminiscent of the way she had done the same to him not ten minutes ago. He turned her hand palm facing up and studied her forearm for a minute, before letting it drop without explanation.

"Where did you get that scar?" He inquired, making Martha step forward out of curiosity as the princess lifted her own wrist again to look at the mark he was referring to.

It almost looked like a bite wound only the skin was torn to make it look less like a puncture.

"I hardly remember," the royal woman ghosted her other hand over it as if replaying a distant memory as her face went blank and glassy. "It has been there as long as I can remember."

"Nothing has ever happened has it? No strange..." he shook his head in false nonchalance as if attempting to make himself look a little less crazy, "transformations?"

She shook her head and Martha looked at him as if she thought he was mad for going about everything this way.

"No, I can't imagine it has, too early yet." He raised his voice again as if he was speaking to himself for a minute. "No, maybe not but something's different isn't it? You feel something inside sometimes? Something that's clawing to get out. Something that whispers and begs." His voice dropped to an eerie whisper as the princess seemed to become enraptured with his words. "Come on, let me out, come on. Let me go to the others, the others like me... Let me out!"

Princess Ann suddenly stepped away from him, tears glistening in her scared eyes. "Stop it! Please Doctor just tell me! Tell me what it is?"

He stared her down for another second and seemed to make up his mind.

"Tell me your highness, do you believe in monsters? Or, more specifically... werewolves?"

**A/N I can honestly say I have no idea if you guys will like this or not. I don't know if it turned out good or bad but I'm hoping it's the former. I'm sorry it's pretty short, compared to my usual chapters anyway, and once again so sorry it took me this long, I really don't know why it gave me such trouble.**

**I hope I haven't been gone so long that no one reads so please reassure me and review because I really love the feedback I get!**

**Please tell me what you thought,**

**Metal.**


	17. Back To Rome

**A/N Thanks to all the reviewers! I was so worried people wouldn't read because of how long it's been and you'd lose interest so thanks heaps and please keep it up. Again, so sorry for the delay and I promise I will really try to get the last few chapters up a lot quicker now. Enjoy**

**I'm really about getting closer to the reunion because I just remembered that I've already written their reunion and I really want to post it.**

**IMPORTANT: There is another thing from "the Stone Rose" in this chapter, the genie. For those of you who've read it you'll understand what I'm talking about, for those who haven't don't worry too much, I'll try and explain what I need to for it all to make sense without having to read the book.**

**SORRY IT'S SO SHORT :S  
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**Chapter 16: Back To Rome**

"Werewolves?" Princess Anne repeated with a confused look on her face. Anyone who wasn't as good at reading people as the Doctor would assume from her expression that she genuinely had no idea where he was going with such an insane thought and direction of conversation, but he knew better.

The Doctor stepped forward, studying her face and finding exactly what he wanted to find. "See, there it is," he spoke in that half whisper again, eyes watching her unblinkingly. "That glimmer of something else."

Suddenly his voice changed and he was speaking at a mile a minute, eyes darting and hands moving emphatically. "You know don't you Anne, some part of you knows it's there inside you. You've always known that there was something different about you didn't you? About your whole family even. Your mother and your grandmother, they told you stories of monsters and aliens when you were a child and though you wished with everything in your heart that they were just stories you knew, somewhere deep inside that it was all too perfect. Too real... too familiar."

The Doctor backed up, seeing the royal woman getting sucked into her memories as her eyes glazed over in thought and nostalgia raced through her entire being.

He grabbed Martha's wrist and pulled her forward, them both coming to stand only a foot away from the woman.

"Look Martha, look into her eyes."

Martha swallowed and did as he said. It only took her a split second to see it.

There was an invisible fire dancing in the princess's eyes, like something that you couldn't see but knew it was there anyway, something inhuman. She looked into the depth of her eyes and saw a swirling black ink, darker than her pupils that started in the centre and moved outwards, taking over her irises.

Martha gasped and stumbled back as the blackness retreated suddenly and the other woman snapped out of her trance, also taking a shocked step backwards.

There was a moment of awkward and stunned silence before a wide grin split the Doctor's face and he trotted to the console, slamming down a lever and sending them into flight, the noise of the universe surrounding them for a few seconds before becoming quiet.

Martha looked towards the door then back to the Doctor, not sure what to think and having no idea where they were. The Time Lord had yet to explain his plan in any detail and all any of them knew for now was that it had something to do with the Princess being a werewolf.

"Doctor, where are we now? And when exactly are we going to be let in on what the bloody hell is going on?" She put her hands on her hips and glared at him, not truly angry because she would probably go along with anything he said just to keep that expression on his face.

_He looks so happy, _She thought in partial sadness, some part of her still wishing she could be the one with the power to make him look like that.

"Come now Martha, where's the fun in knowing everything? There's no surprise that way." He ran to the door and swung back towards them, happy to see both had crowded behind him, eager to see what was outside those doors.

"Now, no time to waste so let's get everything out in the open now shall we?" He turned to the Princess and grinned. "I have no idea what my future self has told you but this, my lovely Anne, is a time machine so do try not to be too shocked when we step outside." He now turned back to Martha. "We are about to step out somewhere in the middle of ancient Rome and as we do we should encounter a brilliant little beast that goes by the name GENIE, stands for Genetically Engineered Neural Imagination Engine. Got all that?" He paused for barely half a second from continuing on. "Good! Now you are both going to stay quiet. I might be going to this creature for help but one wrong word, namely the word_ wish_, and we could all be in very big trouble. So, no talking but if you must do not use the word _wish_. Yes?"

Martha and Anne simply nodded, wondering at the suddenly serious and grave man in front of them. Martha vaguely recollected something in the memories about "wishes" but there were simply too many thoughts catapulting through her brain for her to pinpoint which it was.

The Doctor turned and opened the doors without any more hesitation and sure enough, right in front of them was a strange creature. It looked as if it was a cross between a dragon and a platypus, small and scaly seated warily inside a cardboard box, gnarly fingers clutching the edge and beady eyes watching them suspicious, something akin to disbelief flickering across its alien features when those orbs slid to rest on the Doctor's face.

It made a faint hiss of surprise and glared at the unchanged man. "What are you doing here again? How did you find me?"

The Doctor stepped closer to it and knelt down, expression hardened, anger flickering from somewhere deep inside.

The GENIE seemed to flicker for a moment, almost like it was a hologram or ghost of an image but the Doctor got a frightening sneer on his face and held his sonic screwdriver to its face.

"Don't you dare disappear. Finding you as taken me a very long time and no matter where you go, I'll find you again... if I have to."

The GENIE nodded, face contorted with an ugly cross eyed look as its attention was solely focussed on the weapon pointed directly at its small face.

"But the girl, she set me free. You were all returned to normal from stone, what else do you want with me?"

The Doctor stood and towered over the tiny thing. "_The girl _is called Rose Tyler and if it wasn't for her you would either be dead or still in slavery, show some respect. It's because of her your life was given back to you and so it will be because of you that she can come back to hers."

The creature grimaced and lunged backwards out of his shadow, clearly terrified as the Doctor's face turned stormy and unsympathetic. Martha herself felt like slapping the disfigured rodent for talking about Rose in such a way.

She felt Anne grow unsteady beside her and stepped towards the regal woman, placing a comforting arm around her shoulders.

The Doctor continued. "You are bound by a life dept to her and you must respect that. Come with us and stay until I make a wish. Grant the wish and then you will be free and I won't come looking for you again. You have the power to choose whether to grant a wish now but keep in mind I won't let you rest for a single day of your existence unless you do this for me."

Silence pervaded the room as the little creature trembled in its box, face angry and terrified and annoyed all at the same time. But they all knew it didn't have a choice, it would come with them or face the wrath of a Time Lord who had nothing left to lose.

"Fine, I'll come with you but keep in mind; the bigger the wish the more energy I need to complete it and I doubt it will be a simply task if a Time Lord, a werewolf and whoever else you might be hiding in that contraption could not bring it to bare."

No one questioned how it knew who they were but Martha shivered as its high pitched, nasally voice pierced her head.

The Doctor scowled at it for another moment before letting a smile came over him again, waving a casual hand through the air. "Nah, nothing too difficult really. You're just going to transport a being from one universe to another... It's child's play really."

The GENIE's face shifted in horror at the request and became slack jawed. "But to do that I'll need the energy of-"

And back was the stormy, closed expression. "Don't you worry about that. I know what you need and it is within my power to give it to you. Now get on board." His tone left no room for argument and a cracking sound filled the air.

With that said he turned to face the girls. Instantaneously his posture softened, his mouth curved into a smile, his hands were shoved into their respective pockets and he bounced happily on the balls of his feet.

"Well, shall we be off then?" Without further ado moving back to the TARDIS. Anne followed him close behind, looking shaken but Martha looked back and was shocked to find the GENIE had vanished.

"Doctor the-"

"He's inside!" He called back without turning.

"Of course he is."

Martha chuckled under her breath and rolled her eyes, following them in and trying to wrap her head around how fast everything was moving... All she wanted was an explanation and she wondered how much longer it would take for the brilliantly frustrating man to give them one.

The wooden doors slammed behind her and as she looked around the console room the engine noises filled the room and all she could tink was, _it's getting a bit crowded._

**A/N So yeah I know, short and crappy chapter. Hope it wasn't too bad but I just wanted to get it over and done with because this has been giving me so much trouble since I posted the last chapter and I haven't been happy with it, even after rewriting it about fifty times. I promise tht last few will be much better and much longer. And quicker. **

**Please keep reading and please review!**

**Thanks,**

**Metal.**


	18. Crossing Timelines

**A/N Okay so the response to this story is almost as good as I would like it to be but it's my own fault I'm not getting quite as much as I used to for leaving it so long, so I profusely thank those of you who did review the last two chapters, even though there was a huge gap between them.**

**Hopefully I'll be getting the rest of the chapters up quicker but a lot is going on at the moment and I really am doing the best I can.**

**Hope everyone enjoys this chapter. So: Read on!**

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**Chapter 17: Crossing Timelines**

Looking around at the mismatched group of companions that were now strewn about the TARDIS Martha decided she would simply give up asking questions and getting confused, instead opting for going along with the ride and basking in the uncharacteristic giddiness of the Doctor, who was once again dancing around the rotor murmuring to his beloved machine.

She grinned and skipped up to come beside him as he stopped for a moment to look at something on the cryptic computer screen.

"So Doctor, now what? Are we done picking up strays?" His head lifted and he smiled back at her, excitement gleaming in his bright, brown eyes that now, as well as the constant knowledge and wisdom of someone who was far older than they appeared, carried a childlike glee and hope, almost naivety.

"Almost, just one more to go. But I'm going to need your help on this one Martha."

"My help? Really? The great Time Lord needs a mere humans help?" She crossed her arms across her chest in fake defiance and gave him what she hoped was a mocking look, despite the smirk that threatened to break out.

"Oh come now Martha Jones, don't be like that. You know I didn't mean it. You're brilliant, all humans are brilliant, molto bene, bellissimo." The small girl rolled her eyes at the rambling man and gave him a nudge.

"Yeah all right, just tell me where we're going this time?"

The Doctor snapped out of his self induced babble and turned back to the screen, taking note that now the other two occupants of the room were also listening in over Martha's shoulder. "Right, well, we're going to meet and... what you might call, kidnap, an old friend."

_Okay, _Martha thought with bewilderment, _where to start. _"Right then, which friend and... kidnap?"

"Yeah but not in the strictest sense of the word, more like borrow. Bring along for the ride by his own permission and attempt to bring him back with his friends noticing," The Doctor ran his hand through his hair quickly, flicking switch and sending the entire TARDIS jolting through space, everyone stumbling except the man in question, "though as memory has it those little blue guys were awfully clingy."

With almost perfect timing the TARDIS once again jolted to a stop, crashing down onto whatever type of ground was outside those impossible doors. Without further ado the Doctor walked to the doors again, no hesitancy in his step. Martha rushed to catch up with him, grabbing his arm and pulling him around to face her on the ramp.

"Wait a minute Doctor, you haven't explained anything and you said you needed my help. I can't help if I don't know what I'm helping with."

He got a peculiar look on his face, as if trying to determine whether or not she was correct, and then let out a slow puff of air. "Right, guess it is rather important you know, yes. Okay then; Martha I've explained to you before how unbelievably bad, incredibly dangerous and exceedingly stupid it is to travel back on one's personal timeline before yes?"

"Yes." He nodded along with her answer, took a quick breath and continued.

"Yes well, that is exactly what we are about to do." Her eyes widened and she almost said something, before she saw how utterly serious and resolved his eyes had become, the look he held now one that did not leave room for argument. "We're going back on my time line, to somewhere ohhh, what would it be? About... Three years, eight months, two weeks, three days and hmmm, I'd say seventeen hours, fifty-nine minutes, twenty-eight seconds ago?"

He looked at her then, as if to ask her opinion if he was correct or not. She couldn't tell if he was disappointed when all he got was the bewildered, open mouthed expression she knew was written on her face.

He sent a close-mouthed, half smile at her and ruffled his own hair a bit, a knowing look sparkling in his brown eyes. "And don't try and talk me out of it either, because I remember you Martha Jones and if you talked me out of it how could I, ay? If you talked me out of it that would mean it never happened, which means you and me, or you and I rather, would never have been there and I never would have recognised you that day we met in the hospital and thought about giving you half a chance so soon after Rose. So there you see? We have to go! No choice."

Martha's head was reeling with the babble she was so sure she had been getting used to and she couldn't help the thought that if he kept on like this she'd be giving him a good slap by the end of the grand mission.

But as soon as the thought of what exactly they were doing and how conflicted in himself he must be without it showing she decided to shrug and let it all roll off her shoulders like the past few times. She looked him in the eyes and saw the unbearably complicated swirl of emotions there and couldn't stand it, much less the thought of what would happen to him if this elaborate plan didn't work.

The thought made her break eye contact with the amazing man in front of her and look at the floor of the TARDIS that was softly humming in excitement all around them, their other passengers strangely quiet behind her as they listened in and attempted to understand.

"Alright then Doctor, where to then?"

She grinned up at him, trying to hide how watery her eyes had become at really thinking through what they were doing and how much was riding on its success.

"One last place." He lifted his head to look at the princess and GENIE behind her. "And I promise I will explain everything once we have our last passenger on board but I don't want to have to say this more than once so you'll just have to wait a little while longer I'm afraid. As for where we are going, we are going to the end of the world to find a very dear friend of mine, who in actual fact I've only met three times... Well, not really knowing what we know now, ay Martha?"

_Three times. _Something about that sounded familiar to Martha. She strained her memories to think of where she'd heard it before, until it suddenly came to her and she let out a gasp.

"Oh my god, really?"

"Yup really, couldn't do something this big without him could we now?"

Martha giggled a bit. "I guess not no."

"Excuse me," came a frustrated voice, which proved to belong to a rather annoyed looking princess Anne as she turned to look at the other woman, "just who exactly are you talking about? Rather rudely I might add."

"Your highness, terribly sorry. We are talking of one Captain Jack Harkness, although much better known in the form we are about to see him in as the Face of Boe; the wisest and oldest being in the universe... so they say." He turned to Martha again. "Never could wrap my head around that. Jack... being wise!"

She scoffed up at him. "No, doesn't seem very likely."

But without further ado the Doctor spun in his place and slammed down another lever, sending them crashing violently to a place they were not meant to be.

The TARDIS groaned with the effort of making them arrive in the destined place, the whole universe attempting to rip her away from it.

The Doctor stroked the console and looked up at the rotor encouragingly. "Come on old girl, you can do it. I know you won't let me down now."

With a loud screech that sounded both like the grinding of metal and a shriek of a woman in torturous pain, they landed with a decided thump and everything went abruptly silent.

They all stood from where they had stumbled to the ground and caught their breaths.

"Rest now girl, the hardest part comes soon." Martha heard the Doctor mutter before pulling himself away from the controls to head towards the doors once again.

She dutifully followed behind, knowing by what he had said that she had to be with him for this part of the adventure.

He pulled the door open for her and gestured with his head for her to go through first, placing one long finger to his lips as a signal to be quiet.

She nodded then stepped out of the TARDIS, immediately taking in her surroundings.

"What is this place?" She asked as the Doctor stepped out behind her, hands in pockets as he looking around in the same way, nostalgia in his eyes.

"It's a space station." He said simply.

She glared up at him and the cheeky crooked smile that was on his face. She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "Yes and? Don't think I've forgotten mister! You said we were crossing your timeline so tell me. When were you here before?"

"Ah yes. It was a time when I was a tad taller. You know, leather, big ears, no hair and a brilliant blonde newly at my side."

The look in his eyes every time Rose was brought into conversations now was the most curious thing to Martha. It was as if he couldn't choose between the usual pain and wistfulness that the thought of her had provoked since their separation, or the new hope and giddiness he felt at the chance of getting her back. The only thing that hadn't changed was the longing that was ever present, even in those memories when they were together, yet still separated by their fear of confronting what they both felt.

Martha realised with a jolt that now she had stopped trying to make the Doctor fall in love with her she was now closer to him than ever. She could now read his looks and understand at least some of his emotions. She was filled with a quiet joy that lit her insides and she smiled up at him.

"Well, what are we waiting for then? The sooner we do this the better right? And I can't wait to see this you in real life."

He chuckled at her and moved forward, heading towards a generic, white door and pulling out his sonic screwdriver.

"Just remember, they can't see us. I may look different but I'll recognise me... In fact I've already recognised me because I remember this from then, when I was him. The more important factor is that _she _doesn't see us. Don't ask me why but I know she never did the first time around and she certainly didn't recognise me when I regenerated."

"Right," Martha said, looking at him in confusion as he nodded and turned, walking through the doorway to their right and strolling casually down the corridor as some tiny blue aliens in white suits waddled passed them.

Martha's head followed them, mouth slightly agape. Yes, she had been with the Doctor quite a while now but it was still shocking to see something that looked so human and yet, not. She stared, it seemed, for a second too long as her head whipped around when she went crashing into the back of someone.

She looked up at the Doctor and saw him frozen and staring off slightly to the left. She looked in the direction and first only saw another blue person, this one tall and decidedly female looking, wearing a dark, seaweed green uniform of some sort.

She only had to shift her eyes slightly to see the extremely familiar blonde hair that was attached to the girl they were here to save. She was talking to the other girl for now but Martha knew if they stayed here much longer she would see them and according to the lecture she had gotten two minutes ago and what she had actually understood from it that would be a bad thing.

"Doctor." She kept her voice low and wrapped a gently hand around his arm, pulling him away and exceedingly glad when he let her.

Once they were safely out of view of the other girl she stopped pulling him and sighed, wondering when or if they were ever going to catch a break to make this insane mission even a tiny bit easier.

"Where to now Doctor?" She asked, not bringing up what had just happened, knowing it would only make it harder.

The man in question blinked a couple of times before turning away from her and continued to the right, walking only a few steps this time before stopping beside another open doorway. Without turning back to her he pointed into the room ahead where she saw many different forms congregated together in what seemed to be some bizarre form of alien party or gathering, 'Tainted Love' blaring through an old jukebox that sat near another closed door and something Martha could only describe as a stretched and framed flap of skin with a face.

Next to said flap of skin was a man she had never met but recognized and knew very well, the Doctor in his other form.

The Doctor looked down at her then and grinned. "Ready to go kidnap our old friend and break the laws of time?"

Martha let out an incredulous laugh and nodded, seeing the Face of Boe in the other corner surrounded by small creatures that looked to be looking after him. She still had an almost impossible time believing that the bodiless alien was one Captain Jack Harkness.

She was shocked when, without any preamble, the Doctor simply walked into the room and straight to the Face of Boe, not worrying that now the other Doctor's eyes were tracking them across the room. She had expected at least a little sneaking around and attempting not to be seen. _But I guess I should never__** expect**_ _anything when I'm with the Doctor._

When they reached the bodiless entity the Doctor spoke up. "So Jack, I guess the plastic surgery fell through?"

Martha heard a bizarre rumbling in her head, a sound she suspected to be the Face of Boe laughing at the Doctor telepathically.

_Yes, well it was worth a try. Martha, _his large eyes flicked to hers for a moment but returned to the Doctor's quickly, leaving her wondering how he remembered her after millions of years. _Doctor, good to see you again, as it always is. _A note of envy came into his voice then, the emotion sounding utterly misplaced in such a wise and old creature. _I remember having hair. Although I always had a soft spot for yours. _

Martha laughed slightly when the Doctor sent a wink Jack's way and the old being smiled… or at least she thought it was a smile.

_As I recall, so did our little Rosie. Yes Doctor, I know why you're here and of course I'll be assisting. Here's nowhere I would rather be, as long as you get me back before anyone notices I'm missing._

The Doctor looked ecstatic at that and nudged Martha playfully in the side. "Isn't that brilliant? Though you always were something else weren't you Jack?"

_It's nice hearing that name again._

"I bet it is. Well, no time to waste. If you're coming with us we have to go as soon as possible… Meaning now." Before Jack could say it again the Doctor held up a hand, "And yes I'll get you back in time. I remember seeing you once this mess is sorted so we can both be sure the TARDIS will get the timing right this time."

"Oh sure," Martha finally piped up; unable to just let that go. "Blame the TARDIS when we all know it's really y-"

"ANYway," the Doctor interrupted again, prompting another round of telepathic chuckling, "let's get going. If you could just teleport to the TARDIS we'll meet you there in just about 51 seconds." With that he spun and walked away again.

Martha watched as he turned his head to the side, grinned and lifted a hand, wiggling his fingers in a mischievous wave. When she turned in the same direction she saw the other Doctor still watching intently from across the room, the tiniest hint of a smile momentarily crossing his face before his brow furrowed in question.

Instead of answering they both looked away and left the room, Martha catching a glance at the space where the Face of Boe had been and saw he had already disappeared.

Suddenly she felt giddy, knowing they were all going to find out what exactly the Doctor was planning when they got back to the TARDIS. With that thought it mind her steps sped up and she overtook the Doctor, eager to get back to that brilliant blue box.

She waited that the doors for him to unlock them and bounced inside as soon as they were open. She went to the group who was waiting for their return and turned back to face the Time Lord, not saying anyway only sending an expectant look his way.

He walked to the Time Rotor and sent the TARDIS into the Time Vortex smoothly before turning back to face them, expression more serious than she'd ever seen it.

"Alright then. Now we have everyone safely on board if you could all please pay attention. It's time for me to explain."

**A/N Sooo, I was going to stop this chapter just before they got Boe but decided that I hate doing short chapters and I know you all wanna see the reunion so I'm trying to get there as fast as I can without endangering the believability of what I'm going to get them to do. **

**So next up is the beginning of the reunion, excited? I am... a little sad cos this fic. has been going so long and I've never written a fic this long before **

**Please review; it'll be one of your last chances to!**

**Review!**

**Metal.**


	19. The Beginning

**A/N As always, thank you for the reviews and here is the explanation you've all been waiting for, hopefully it won't disappoint. Enjoy.**

**UN-BETAED**

**One more thing, I'm so sorry if this is hard to follow. I've made the explanation so complicated because I thought it needed to be something big and complicated to live up to the story so far and I wanted it to be different to all the "Bad Wolf was randomly activated and Rose found her way back" stories. Hope it's understandable.**

**Disclaimer: I own no rights to Doctor Who.**

_He walked to the Time Rotor and sent the TARDIS into the Time Vortex smoothly before turning back to face them, expression more serious than she'd ever seen it._

_"Alright then. Now we have everyone safely on board if you could all please pay attention. It's time for me to explain."_

**Chapter 18: The Beginning**

Everyone was silent and waiting for the Doctor to continue. It only took another second for him to speak up again.

"Now, you all know why we're here, that much I have, or some version of me has told you. We are bringing back Rose Tyler from a parallel universe. Before I explain how we are going to do this I need you all to understand. From this moment on do not cross me because you will not like what you see. If, for example, I hear _anyone _using the word 'wish' except myself, assuming you survive the consequences of your words you'll have to deal with me because that one word, could destroy everything."

They all stared at him in awe, Martha not quite as shocked at the others but slightly frightened by the harshness of his words.

At the lack of response, or rather argument, he let a toothy grin come onto his face and wore his 'I'm-gonna-be-a-brilliant-Time Lord-genius-now' expression.

"Right then, here we go and listen up because I'm only going to explain this once. GENIE, you are possibly the most crucial part because Rose… She's my wish." The GENIE opened its beaky mouth to protest but the Doctor held up a hand and rushed on. "And yes I remember from our last encounter the conditions you have on you concerning powerful wishes and it's obvious you don't have enough energy to do it yourself. But I won't allow you to kill anyone just for energy. THAT is where you come in your highness." His feet slid across the grating as he took a sweeping step to get to Anne, hands gesturing wildly in front of him.

Martha had noticed the gleam in his eye turn slightly manic and she knew that look would not be likely to disappear until this was all over. So much depended on this and he had been planning for so long, it seemed a tiny slice of his sanity had been chipped away after so long of this emotional rollercoaster.

"You, the first active werewolf in your family, though the gene has been recessive in your line since back to the 19th century when your great, great grandmother was bitten by a boy possessed with the werewolf entity from… a planet you've never heard of. Anyway," he continued quickly when they began to look at him confusedly. "That entity could sense Rose."

"How?" The Princess finally piped up, understanding most of what the Doctor was saying until then.

"Back, a long time ago now, I was about to die and Rose saved me." His voice lowered and his smile became softer. "She looked into the heart of the TARDIS and she became what we both, as well as the entire universe, knew as the Bad Wolf. It was a few months later that we encountered the werewolf and, though I was sure I had extracted all the energy from Rose, it sensed the left over traces inside her."

"But how Doctor?" Anne asked again. "You said she was known as the Bad Wolf, but that's not literal. She wasn't a wolf so how would a werewolf be able to sense it within her? Especially when from what you've said, even you couldn't?"

Martha was surprised. She hadn't expected the woman to be so logical and… clever. It seemed that question had not occurred to anyone else as they also looked surprised, the Doctors surprise mingling with glee that someone had caught on to that and now he got to explain even more.

"The heart of the TARDIS is made up of many different types of energy from all over the universe. But the most significant piece is called Huon Energy. It is so named because originally the only place it was found was near a planet called Huon, and the Energy is what made up their sun. Can anyone guess what inhabited this planet?"

This time Martha spoke up before the others could. "The wolves or whatever they were before they reached Earth and became werewolves." He nodded at her. "So how did it end up all over the universe if it started off as one planets sun?"

"Well there are people who are pirates of the sky if you like. They sail through space until they find suns or uninhabited planets that they can steal valuable energy from. They take it piece by piece, store it until they find someone to sell it to and then cover their tracks before going back and taking more till there's nothing left. The sun of Huon was a living energy so after they started ripping it apart it fought back from inside their storage containers. As so often happens when people, humans mainly, mess with things they don't understand there was an explosion and the loose particles were too far away from the sun to make it back so instead they ended up all around the universe, which is how the Time Lords grew TARDIS' instead of building them; the living part of a TARDIS is purely from the Huon particles in each one."

He paused a moment giving them a few seconds to catch up before he got back to the point. "Now, back to the point, even on their own planet the werewolves transformed under the moon, their planet moved so that they only had night, in our terms, about once a month, hence why it only happens here on a full moon. Every night they would change from being something vaguely humanoid to wolves but on their own planet they had no sight, for reasons much too complicated to attempt to explain now so please don't ask. So they only had one way to sense the coming of night and prepare themselves for their transformations, they were born with what most species call a psychic link to the Huon moon and each other and could sense when the moon began moving further away from them and that would signal the beginning of night, while their link to each other would tell them when they approached and if the other was a threat."

Martha spoke up again now that she could see how this was all connected together. "Wait so let me get this straight. They could sense their moon and because of their lives probably depending on it back on their home planet the one that ended up on Earth in the 19th century could sense even the tiniest traces that were left in Rose."

"Continue Martha Jones, I think you've got it!" He grinned at her encouragingly.

"So, because the wolf has been awakened in Princess Anne theoretically she should be able to sense Rose through the transferred psychic link to the moon that the entity inside her will recognise."

"Exactly! Plus, because Rose has the particles inside her the wolves seem to interpret that as her being from their home planet so she should get a second reading from Rose as well, which will hopefully strengthen the connection."

There was silence in the TARDIS but it was obvious the highly confusing explanation wasn't over yet as the Doctor's eye flickered over to the Face of Boe."

The other alien must have caught the look also because a soothing voice then sounded through all of their heads.

_So what is my part in all this Doctor? Or did you only bring me along for the stimulating company?_

Martha was sure if it was possible for him to do so the being would have winked in the Time Lords direction.

"I do love having you as a companion Captain but you do have a role. Even with the psychic connection between the wolves and their moon that wouldn't be nearly enough to break through the wall of the universes, not to mention bypass the void. Now Jack, you haven't done it yet but I have seen you sustain an entire city that covered half a planet, you're strength and knowledge is as close to infinite as I have ever seen, excluding myself of course."

_Of course. _

Seeing the two old friends joke together was somehow comforting to Martha and the more she heard of this plan, though it was complicated and depended on a lot of things going right, she became more confident and sure it would work.

"Well the first thing I'll have to do, we'll have to do, is rip open the only hole left in this universe to get through to the void and the other universe. The hole is tiny, only a few years old and… by my own fault. When I broke through the walls to say goodbye to rose I created a supernova and, as of one year ago, it transformed into the rare event of an active black hole, which simply put means it's a black hole that leads to somewhere, mainly the void."

He stopped, expecting to see disgust on their faces at what he had done to this universe just to say goodbye to one girl before he remembered, through their same expressions, that they were, mostly, only human, they couldn't possibly comprehend the damage he might have done. He let it go without saying anything.

"So, Jack you will be connected, physically and mentally, to the TARDIS and I'll be directing your attention to guide you so the three of us can, with any luck, stabilize the void enough to find a gap that will lead to the universe Rose is in and open that up enough as well so that the Princess can lock her senses onto her. Then I'll make my wish, the GENIE will also be connected to the TARDIS and myself and it'll be our energy he will be feeding off of to make the wish possible."

He turned to the GENIE directly now, it being absolutely essential the little grotesque creature understood his instructions and limits. "I know the amount of energy this will take. You start drawing from the TARDIS but do not permanently damage her or I'll put a stop to this whole thing and you'll still be in my debt for allowing you to live. Then you'll start taking it from me and listen closely; you can take as much as I can take, also without any permanent effect, once you reach that point you can take it from the regeneration energy inside me. You know the limits of my power, you can take the energy of one regeneration, no more. By then you should either have enough or only need to draw a small amount from the Face of Boe that he should hardly even notice."

They held a frighteningly intense eye contact for a few seconds in which Martha wanted to now protest, having understood the Doctor was giving up one, and possibly more, of his lives for the absent blonde. But she knew there was no chance of her being listened to and so kept her silence.

"Do you understand your part and agree to it?" He asked the GENIE at last.

The hawk eyed creature blinked widely and nodded its beaked head, looking disgustingly pleased with the request.

"Do you all understand and agree?"

There was no hesitation in their nods but Martha felt slightly dejected when next the Doctor said, "alright then, we need to do this fast so ready or not, let's go." He pulled the main lever of the TARDIS console down and the atmosphere in the TARDIS rose in tension and nerves.

This was it. They couldn't mess it up. Which was the reason for Martha's sour mood. Everyone had been given an important role in this mission while she had been left to the side, having no idea how exactly she was a part of it.

No later than the moment she had thought it the Doctor walked to her and gently grasped her elbow, as if he had read her mind. "Martha, I'm going to need you. If something goes wrong this is going to take so much out of me and I'll be so distracted it'll be up to you to catch it and alert me. And if," his throat seemed to seize up in some form of distress before he swallowed thickly and looked into her eyes, "if this doesn't work I'll need you. You're my best friend Martha, I'll need you to keep me grounded if it fails."

It seemed she had gone from having no part to the most important and she felt the pressure and fear weigh heavily on her. Instead of trying to say anything she just nodded and accepted his embrace as he pulled her into a strong, comforting hug.

"Thank you," he whispered in her ear before pulling away and returning to the console.

She didn't move as he tinkered and talked with the others for another two hours, explaining things even more fully while hooking the Face of Boe and the GENIE up on the TARDIS with various devices.

Then the TARDIS ground to a halt and the look in the Doctors eyes changed yet again and she knew the time was here.

_This is it._

**A/N Okay so… making sense? Please please review to tell me what you think. Probably only two, maybe three, chapters to go so reviews matter now more than ever because this is the most important part of the whole story!**

**Thanks as always,**

**Metal.**


	20. Come Together

**A/N So, next to last chapter and the beginning of the reunion. *gulp* Hope I make this good enough. Please don't hate me for this taking so long, I had an insane bout of writers block but I promised this story would be finished eventually and it will be. I am hoping the last chapter, will come a lot easier since I had to re-write this chapter about 12 times. I hope I've still got my loyal readers after a year and hopefully some new followers as well **

**Enjoy.**

**UN-BETAED**

**Disclaimer: I own no rights to Doctor Who.**

* * *

**Chapter 19: Wrong**

The TARDIS was rife with tension. Martha had systematically engaged all of its occupants in conversation in the hopes of distracting them from becoming impatient and violent, which based on the motions and noises of annoyance coming from the small blue GENIE who was now refusing to speak with anyone until they ceased to "hold him against his will", though he had agreed to stay when the Doctor had picked him up, was a very likely possibility.

When the thought crossed her mind Martha looked up from her hushed conversation with Princess Anne to glance at the busy Time Lord. When they had landed she had expected them to get right into everything the Doctor had mentioned but he had looked up, faced their expectant expression, furrowed his eyebrows and whispered "_Almost time," _before returning to his work and whispering in even more rushed conversation with the Face of Boe.

After another hour of preparation he finally stopped. Everything was done, finally. He stepped back from the rotor and simply looked. He looked at everything, his eyes honing in on the detailed workings to try and pinpoint something he may have missed. When they found nothing his shoulders slumped and he let the whole weight of what he was about to try and do come crashing down on him. He leant forward and let his hands rest on the edge of the controls, his body weight pressing forward and head drooping to stare unseeingly at the floors metal grating.

There would only be one go at this and it had to be done quickly. The amount of energy this would take from everyone, especially him, made it border on the impossible.

He turned to face his companions, seeking out Martha's face because he knew she was the only one who had the slightest chance to understand what was at stake.

Getting Rose back wouldn't fix everything by any means. Nightmares would still plague him and he would always have the death of his people and they're enemies hanging over his head, not to mention the countless people and civilisations he had failed to save. But the loss of Rose had been the last straw, the final cut in the chord of his sanity and he desperately needed it to be sewn back together because that brilliant little yellow human was the only one who had ever helped him move on from his guilt and agony and live his live with the enthusiasm and wonder it called for.

"It's done." He stated simply. Martha gulped in anticipation. "Does everyone know their parts?" She looked around the TARDIS to see everyone give small nods, whether they be filled with nerves, serenity or loathing, on the GENIE's part.

"Let's do it then. The TARDIS found the last hole in the walls between our universes, fresh from its transformation from a supernova I created years ago."

The Doctor turned back to the console, tapped a few controls and everyone felt the TARDIS shudder before becoming still again. He turned to the Face of Boe then and walked to him, kneeling before the glass that encased him.

"You're up captain."

The Doctor turned back to Martha for a second and she could feel panic welling inside her, this plan was so complicated and… unrealistic. She was finding it incredibly difficult to believe anyone, even a Time Lord, even the Doctor, could pull it off.

"I have to connect with him psychically so I know where he finds the hole and make sure he connects to the right universe." He raised a hand in a slightly comic way to rest across his lips. "Everyone needs to be veeery quiet, okay kiddies?"

With that, not waiting for an answer, he knelt in front of the Face of Boe , lowered his head and rested his palms and forehead against the glass casing, becoming as still as a statue as his muscles seemed to seize up, clench and stay taut , as if waiting for a blow.

The Doctor reached out with his mind, following the psychic tendril of connectivity Jack had extended to him.

Suddenly his mind exploded with thoughts, images, memories and premonitions, coming across the link in a jumble of unidentifiable consciousness that came from a being having lived for literally, millions of years. Even a Time Lord greater than himself would have been hard pressed to keep in his right mind and continue on his original task but the Doctor was nothing if not desperate and determined and so he fought back the creeping of insanity he felt gnawing at the edge of his own mind and pushed through the last barrier to completely enter Boe's mind.

When he did he felt his body and every cell in it relax. The vortex, the untempered schism and the void danced around them, and it felt like home. It was calm, empty and completely pure, made up of all the things he had been lacking in the years passed. It started off as a pleasant feeling but quickly mutated into something else the deeper they stretched into the Void.

Cold seeped into his consciousness and he could hear the whispers of billions of presences, all sorts of beings calling out to the newest member of the sucking blackness, trying to lure him into their paths so they could latch on and catch a ride back into a universe, out of the nothingness.

His attention was caught once again by a new feeling, one that got stronger as the seconds ticked by while his mind continued to cling to Jacks, knowing that was still the most important. Points of pressure began to buffer down on him, like billions of tiny different objects were cramped inside the void and were moments away from bursting open, clutching onto their conscious' in an attempt to be heard… And that's exactly what it was he realised. This was all the different universes, calling out to him, wanting to be discovered and opened.

Then he felt Boe frantically pull away from them, swimming through the condensed nothingness and stretching his mind as they both saw it, the light at the centre of the mess. It shone with the blue of a Dalek's eye and the silver of a Cybermans suit, yet it was beautiful.

The sight of it sent waves of warmth and familiarity through them, colliding particles at is centre showing it was steeped in "void stuff", this universe was one that had foreigners within it, unknowns and secret. This was the one.

The Doctor stumbled away from Jack, eyes wide and mouth agape, gasping breaths escaping him as the void still swirled in his head. Now the connection had been made it would be present until the Face of Boe and the TARDIS were completely disconnected. He could feel it on the surface of his mind, the cold of the void, the light, the skin of the universe calling to him, promising him he would find what he so longed for just beyond if only he had the means to grasp it.

Telling his thoughts to quiet and the insanity that always dwelt in his being to rise in its madness and become brilliance he turned in a flurry to face the others, eyes wide and unblinking as they focused upon the shocked, fearful face of Princess Anne.

"Anne, come here." When she hesitated he had to use every ounce of his control not to become frustrated, knowing just how small their opening would be before himself and the Face of Boe would tire. "Please Anne, I promise you no harm will come, I'll guide you all the way."

She stepped forward, toward his arm that had extended out to usher her forward, her face becoming bathed in the TARDIS' blue-green glow, making her features seem to tremble as he looked into her eyes.

"Now, I assume my future self has prepared you for this somehow… Somehow without ever telling you what it was really for. Did he tell you how a psychic link would work? What it would feel like?" She simply nodded.

_She was a woman of few words it would seem_, thought Martha as she watched. At the Princess' confirmation the Doctor slowly raised his hands, fingers spread to settle at her temples, index and middle finger pressed together, thumbs caressing her cheeks and his last two slipping gently into the beginnings of her hair. His eyes slipped closed, brows furrowing in concentration.

It took only a few seconds for Anne's eyes to become unfocussed and snap shut in a way that seemed almost mechanical.

Martha edged closer as to try and hear what the Doctor began to say, his lips moving but only uttering his words, barely whispers past his tongue.

"Relax. Trust me to guide you, let me in." His hand relaxed just slightly as he felt the barriers of her mind falling around them both, the reality of standing in the TARDIS once again leaving them. "You'll feel us both now, me and the Face of Boe. It should be something small, tingling in the back of your mind. A presence you tell yourself to ignore because it's impossible. Reach out, touch it, let everything inside yourself grab onto it and it will lead you to us, through the void safely to the other side where the other universe waits."

The Princess swayed where she stood, hands clenching into fists and eyes squinting. She gasped harshly, lurching forward as if a string had physically pulled her towards the Doctor and then her whole body relaxed, not one inch of her showing any movement or sign of life, it seemed as if even her breathing had stopped.

Martha saw the Doctors fingers turn white as they pressed harder to Anne's temples, now not resting but physically holding her in place.

"I feel you; you've done well Anne but don't let it take you over completely. Let the wolf rise just enough to give you power, strength enough to make the journey, to feel the connection, then rein it in."

The Doctor searched the princess' mind, his hearts beating in double-time as he felt her break through the thin membrane of the universe, bursting open the tiny tear they had found. He felt as the wolf searched quickly, knowing it had found what they were looking for already and feeling his entire being seize up as he followed her consciousness.

His throat seized and his respitory-bypass system was made to do its work as he no longer felt able to breathe, the minds he was connected to all came to a halt at the emergence of a presence that was more familiar to him than anything else he had ever felt.

Suddenly everything snapped into place and the truth of what he was doing became very real. His thoughts screamed at him, the face that went with the presence was all he could think about and his teeth clenched in the frustration of knowing that when he opened his eyes, even though he could feel her, he still would not see her standing beside him.

_Go Doctor, _he heard Boe transmit to him through their standing connection, _I can stabilise Anne and the connection while you talk to the GENIE. Be careful Doctor, the hardest is yet to come._

Martha never took her eyes away from the unmoving Doctor, the Time Lord and Princess still in the same position they had been when they entered their trance-like state five minutes ago. She chewed her lip and wrung her hands in worry. They were like statues, faces slack and so relaxed they could be sleeping had they been off their feet.

The GENIE sitting beside her was making her nervous as well. Its beady eyes gaze at her with disturbing persistence and its breathing was constantly wheezing and spluttering. She was just about to start edging away from the sickly blue creature when the Doctor's eyes clenched tightly and his hands left the Princess' face as he launched himself bodily away from her.

He gasped deeply and one word escaped his clenched teeth, making him sound as if he were in pain. "Rose."

"Doctor!" Martha rushed to his side, laying a supporting hand on his arm as he doubled over. "You broke the connection, won't this set us back?" She asked urgently as he straightened, not wanting all this to be a waste.

"No," he collected himself in less than a second and stepped to the console, manic again as Anne and Boe made no change. "The hole is wide open and Jack is holding the connection to Rose in place. Now all I have to do is open a visual window so we can physically see what's going on and make the connection two-way."

"What does that mean Doctor?"

"It means I'm going to make the membrane of the two universes transparent through the gap, which means we'll be able to see Rose… and she'll be able to see us."

Martha frowned, not remembering this being part of the plan. "But… why?"

The Doctor lowered his head and rubbed his brow in frustration. "It might not be strictly necessary but I can't just pull Rose back here with no warning." He turned to look at her now, the TARDIS' screen looking to be loading something. "It's been three years Martha, in that universe it might have been slightly more or less, but either way it's been a long time. Anything could have happened. She could be injured and therefore not able to survive the transference from there to here, she might like her life there better now than she did then… She might not want to come back." His voice by the end had lowered to a whisper as if he wasn't really willing to admit such possibilities aloud.

Martha's face softened and she found she could say nothing. As much as she wished to reassure him it really wasn't her place, for all she knew he was right and Rose had moved on… though she doubted it. The Doctor wasn't someone who was easy to move on from and the feelings she had for him could hardly compare to what the Doctor and Rose had shared... Still shared.

Without waiting for a response he turned and flipped one last switch and the back wall of the TARDIS disappeared, seeming to be sent into a sucking void, a great wind building and pulling that the occupants of the TARDIS could not feel.

"The TARDIS is locking onto the universe and the Huon energy Rose and the Princess' consciousness are emitting. The both combined should be enough to lock onto Rose and open a gate." The Doctor had to shout over the ripping noise the hole was now making. The whole ship shook and rumbled as tiny bits of colour and movement started to peek through. The darkness seemed to break into shards and fall away and Martha looked away from the Doctor as a picture formed and her mouth gaped.

The Doctor let go of her as the shuddering stopped and looked up from his place at the console of the TARDIS and although he knew this had been coming, felt his body almost shut down in shock.

There she was; blonde hair, blue eyes, dark jeans and dark leather jacket, exactly as he remembered her, mouth open in likewise shock and as yet unshed tears glistening in her eyes.

But he couldn't. Not yet. The visible wall had dissipated but the wall between the universes still stood and he was the one who had to rip them down.

That part of the plan was far from his thoughts now though, nothing left in his thoughts as he looked into her beautiful eyes for the first time in what felt like decades.

He could see her throat and mouth working, silently forming his name but too stunned to actually get the sound out.

His mouth was dry, his body tense and he could not decipher one emotion from the unbelievable tangle of feelings inside of him.

He walked forward to where he knew the wall still was, though they couldn't see it, and watched, hearts thumping loudly in his ears as she did the same till they were only a foot from each other, his memories flashing back to the beach they stood on last time they saw each other and how similar everything was. The only difference now was that they both had hope shining in their eyes, and there were many more witnesses.

With that thought the Doctor tore his eyes unwillingly away from her glistening pools and noticed Jackie, Pete and a small boy in Jackie's arms, all standing just behind her in what looked like a cosy living room. The Doctor's heart swelled at seeing them again but he couldn't resist and had to turn his eyes back to the one he had come for, still standing before him silently.

He looking back down at her and noticed the baggy, pink flannel pyjamas she had on and smiled, an almost non-existent breath of laughter escaping him. He raised his right hand to reach out to her and hit the barrier that still separated them, smile disappearing as quickly as it had come as he remembered he still could not touch her.

She glanced down at the action as he once again lowered the arm and her eyes returned to question him. "Doctor?" Her fingers trailed up and over the surface of the invisible wall, hands trembling.

Only moments ago she had been spending a quiet night in with her family, next she had heard the crunch of the TARDIS, thinking she was imagining things as usual. But then the wall of their living room had been ripped away to be replaced by a momentary earthquake, the TARDIS and the man she had been trying to make her way back to for four years.

She lay her hand against the barrier and let a tear fall from her eyes. The look in his eyes was one she had not let herself dare to hope to ever see again.

"Rose." He longed to wipe away her tears and hold her to him and never let ago. That's when it all came back to him. The TARDIS was grinding behind him, alerting him to the waning strength of the Face of Boe, the one who was responsible to hold the door open, so to speak, along with the TARDIS who was using every last reserve of energy within her.

Rose had clearly heard it as well for she was looking over his shoulder curiously at the others in the TARDIS and the ship itself.

"Martha!" He called over his shoulder. "Would you please put the GENIE in the captain's chair for me and then read what the monitor says aloud."

Martha did as he asked and was worried when she saw the screen. "Doctor it says they only have enough power to keep the window open for another three minutes."

Boe spoke to him psychically then. _Anne is fading quickly Doctor, you must hurry now._

He hadn't yet turned away from Rose, eyes locked on her face so he was surprised when her expression changed dramatically from the shock and awe to a wide grin that was as familiar to him as the TARDIS itself. "Three huh? One more than last time at least. And I see you brought an old friend," she mentioned, nodding towards the GENIE that was cackling pointlessly behind him. "What's happening Doctor?"

It was the first full sentence they had said to each other and the ease of it didn't really surprise them at all. It felt as if they had never left each other.

"Rose I'm… I'm so so sorry to put you in this position when there's no time to think but there's no other way. There's three minutes until this gap is going to close up again and I don't know how long it will take me to find another way to you. This is it, you have to choose." The Doctor hated being so harsh but he needed to get his point across quickly and she had to decide even quicker. He swallowed thickly and rasped in a breath. "So, it's time to decide. You can stay with your family or you can come with me but when I make the wish the GENIE and I will only have enough energy to bring one person through and it's only because you belong here. It's more natural to the multiverse for you to be here than it is for you to be there. You can stay, with them, with… whoever you might have found-"

He was cut off then as Rose shook her head and sent another watery smile his way. "There was never anyone else, how could there be? … You're my Doctor. And there was never any choice, I promised you forever."

She turned then, taking her eyes off him for the first time, finally convinced he was more than a figment of her damaged, lonely imagination. She walked to her family, hugged them one by one and kissed her little brother on the cheek. She looked into her parents eyes and told them she loved them.

Jackie looked at the Doctor then. "Take care of her you crazy man, alright?" He nodded solemnly at her. "Oh and stop looking like that, we all knew this was coming eventually so we've said our goodbyes long before now. Rose has been a right old misery; that and the look on your face, that is the only thing I need to know to know this is for the best."

Rose and the Doctor simultaneously grinned widely at the woman they both, in one way or another, thought of as a mother.

"Thanks Jackie." The TARDIS shook warningly beneath him. "Rose, it's time, I have to do this. Are you ready?" She merely nodded at him and came back to the barrier. He suddenly became nervous, he knew this would be the hardest part, physically at least.

He turned and leapt over to the GENIE, explaining on his way that which the rest of them already knew. "As we all know, the GENIE will be able to grant me a wish but to do something so impossibly difficult it's going to take a little something extra. Usually it calls for a sacrifice, for the energy of an entire human beings life to be charged into the wish to make it happen and technically… this won't be any different."

Rose gasped, looking absolutely horrified and Martha couldn't blame her. Her stomach was suddenly in knots, knowing what was coming and having some sort of feeling that something was going to go horribly wrong. Hoping she was just being cynical Martha stole herself, preparing to leap forward at the first sign she could do something to help.

The Doctor rushed to finish his explanation, sounding somehow more light-hearted now. "Lucky, as a Time Lord I'm rather like a cat and am more than willing to give up one of my lives for this."

Rose shook her head, unbelieving that he was going to do this when really none of them had any idea how this would affect him, in the long or short run. But Martha knew the blonde wouldn't protest, that she couldn't because she knew if positions were switched she would do the same and more for the Doctor if she had to.

"Remember Doctor," the GENIE spoke up for almost the first time since entering the TARDIS what felt like a lifetime ago. "Think through your words carefully or it all may go wrong. I grant the wish, I don't control it."

"I know." The Doctor leant on the chair and took a deep breath, knowing there was only 83 seconds left. "I wish," everyone held their breaths, "for the Rose Marion Tyler that originated from our universe, daughter of Jackie and Pete Tyler, to be returned to her home universe. For her to be transported across the wall of the universes, bypassing the void and be delivered directly to me, onto my TARDIS with no adverse effects on either of the universes involved."

The GENIE cackled loudly and there was a deafening crash of thunder all around them. Martha felt everything shift in some, ineffable way. Her mind became muddled and for a few seconds she didn't understand what was happening or where she was.

Then the blonde girl she was just watching came back into focus, hands stretched forward and her vision became less blurry and more stable. It was then they heard it.

The Doctor's voice in a way not many had ever heard it before. He was screaming, at the top of his lungs, agony pouring out of the sound and almost physically hurting her as well.

She could see Rose shouting out to the Doctor but couldn't hear her as she looked over to the brilliant alien she knew so well.

He was on the floor of the TARDIS, kneeling on the grating and bent further at his waist, hands in his lap and head cradled in his hands, fingers harshly gripping his hair and pulling at the roots. A bright yellow light began to shine around him, his skin becoming red and raw. The light came out of him in swirls and clouds, shooting around and back into him as if reluctant to leave his body, making him scream louder. His voice seemed to cut out on itself as he collapsed even further, head resting on the grated with a loud bang.

Martha winced, everything was so loud and everything became terrifying. The Doctors body jerked and thrashed, Rose screamed his name and the TARDIS was using her own voice to object to the Doctor's pain, all the while the GENIE laughed insanely as if mocking it all.

Then as suddenly as it all began, everything stopped. The Doctor fell limp. Rose called to him one last time before also falling silent, not knowing what to do, not knowing if she could yet run to him. Princess Anne fell out of her trance and stumbled forward, head shaking as if to clear it and the Face of Boe opened his eyes and blinked widely. There was a good five seconds of complete silence and stillness but then…

There was an ominous sound of a snap and the ripping sound from before returned. Martha turned to see Rose take a step forward that would have been impossible only one minute ago, tears streaming down the girls face as her eyes still searched the Doctor who still had not moved from his place on the ground. No one else was paying the same amount of attention so they didn't see what Martha saw.

They didn't see how Rose was just slightly clearer then she had been seconds ago. They didn't see the edges of the window to the other universe quiver and begin to collapse in on itself. They didn't see how it began sucking everything in once again, repairing itself. And they didn't see how Rose was caught in the wind when before it hadn't affected any of them.

Rose's eyes turned even more frightened when she felt the wind, realising the same thing as Martha and shouted in denial just as the Doctor raised his head weakly to look up and see if everything he had gone through had worked. His arm reached to Rose but he was too defeated to be able to make his body move off the ground. He watched as the force picked up and the hole closed, Rose's hair caught in the wind and body resisting the pull. It was all too familiar and he was sure history was being doomed to repeat itself.

"Rose, no," his voice was barely audible and he was sure she couldn't hear him, but darkness was gathering at the corners of his vision and he couldn't let her go again without finishing. "Love yo-" His head dropped once again, body falling limp.

Martha heard the Doctors words and looked back to Rose, his voice snapping her out of her shock and she leapt forward, grabbing Rose by her outstretched hand just as there was only a meter squared of the hole left, closing more rapidly now and pulling at Rose's body more harshly.

The force dragged Rose backward and Martha forward towards the other universe by a few centimetres. "NO!" It was Martha's time to scream. She gritted her teeth, grabbed Rose more tightly with both hands and pulled with all her strength.

Then suddenly the Princess was beside them and also grabbed for Rose. They tugged with all their might, Rose yelled at the force being exerted on her body being pulled both ways at once.

The hole became smaller, a noise like a drain sucking in the last of the water in a dwindling tub filled the air before, with an anticlimactic 'pop', the hole closed and they were thrown backwards in a heap, breathing heavily.

They slowly pushed themselves up, only the usual faint sounds of the TARDIS now echoing familiarly in the room. Martha's eyes slid to Rose and she grinned at seeing the girl still there with them, relief flushing through her as she let herself fall back to the ground and relax for the first time in quite a while. Unfortunately, it didn't last.

Rose pushed herself up, no sign of relief or happiness crossing her face as she stood and ran to the still fallen Doctor.

Martha gasped at how she had momentarily forgotten the Time Lord and also stood, helping up Anne as they both also made their way to him.

"Oh god, no no no, come on Doctor." Martha heard the small blonde muttering under her breath as she bent at the fallen man's side.

"Come on Doctor," she added herself. "Wake up!" She demanded, reached out and pulling him over to lie on his back as she checked his hearts and made sure he was breathing. "I can't find anything wrong," she said, directing the comment of course towards Rose.

The girls lips trembled and without thinking, only seeing the expressionless face of the man who had been missing from her life for almost half a decade, she bent over, hand cupping his neck, and softly laid her lips over his, trying hard to hold back her desperate sobs. She felt the slightest of movements from underneath her and pulled back, looking at his face… And his now wide open eyes.

She couldn't help it; after the complete craziness of the past five minutes, of the past four years, she laughed down at him as tears still fell from her eyes as if her body could not decide what it should be feeling.

He smile softly up at her, finally reaching up and caressing her cheek, wiping away the tears and feeling unmitigated happiness when her hand came to his to hold it there, his small reserve of strength already waning once again.

He looked into her eyes, felt her warm skin, could still taste her on his lips and there was absolutely only one thing he could think of to say.

"Hello."

**A/N Okay, so I know the whole 'kiss and then wake up thing' is extremely clique but it just came out while I was attempting to end the chapter and I didn't wanna change it because it seemed to fit. I thought it was appropriate to finally give them an easy fix to something. So anyway, I hope this wasn't too disappointing, I don't know yet whether or not I like it myself. I think I like the beginning but from about when Rose came back I don't… I don't think it lives up to the drama the scene deserves :p**

**But tell me if you disagree… Or agree for that matter. Tell me if you love it, hate it, were expecting more or less. Really wanna hear from you guys!**

**Thanks for reading.**

**One more chapter to go!**

**Signing off ;)**

**Metal.**


	21. Come Back To Me

**A/N Okay so I hate that this took me so long but I swore I would finish and I have. I hope those of you who have stuck with me from the beginning are okay with this ending. Thank you for reading! I am endlessly proud of finishing this, even though it took me soooo long. Please enjoy and one final time, please review **

**Disclaimer: Still own nothing **

* * *

**Chapter 20: Come Back To Me**

Rose sat, slumped in a chair once plastic, now transformed into a cushioned armchair; a nudge from the TARDIS whom she was sure disapproved of how she was acting if the extra vibrations and groans coming from above were any indication. She raised a hand and rubbed her eyes, infuriated when they began to draw closed in exhaustion.

She abruptly cleared her throat, the noise giving her the jolt she needed to wake back up and she pushed herself out of the chair, making her way towards the bed three feet away with red eyes that blurred her way. She sat down at the foot of the bed, not daring to touch the figure that lay there, hands shaking and clenching in the effort to keep her emotions under control.

"Rose." She sniffed back her tears as her head shot up to meet the dark eyes of the newcomer. Martha was looking at her with concern and sympathy, standing in the doorway as if waiting for permission to enter. At a small nod of greeting from the distraught blonde Martha stepped into the TARDIS medbay and walked to the Doctors side, reading his vitals off the machine the TARDIS had provided a manual for. His heartbeat filled the room with steady drumming, the singular rhythm disconcerting to those who understood Time Lord physiology, especially when considering it was still slower than a humans.

Rose watched without a word as Martha moved over his prone, unconscious form, a small device in her hand that was spitting out some sort of reading that she proceeded to copy down. The blonde tried to stop the despair from overwhelming her as a full body shiver wracked his otherwise still body, his face tense even in this state yet far more vulnerable than most ever saw.

Finally she swallowed to loosen her throat and spoke. "Is there any change?" Martha looked down at her and planted a smile of reassurance on her face.

"His heartbeat has quickened and his other is trying." She pointed to the beeping machine with readings constantly running across it. "See this? The inconsistencies in it are stutters from his second heart. It's working to restart itself so it's only a matter of time. He's just unconscious Rose, resting and recuperating. Now that we know he's improving, I promise there's nothing to worry about and we both know the Doctor… He won't let anything stop him from coming back to you." She smiled once more and turned to leave the girl alone once more with the remarkable alien they both cared for.

"Martha, could you stick around for a while?" She stopped, shocked. Rose had barely spoken since this whole mess had happened, let alone asked for company. "It's too quiet in here and I know you care about each other, he'll want to come back to you too." Though her voice shook with emotion a tiny hint of a smile leaked its way through for the first time in 32 hours.

Martha sat down in a chair that lay beside the bed and watched as the blonde she used to feel such rivalry with reached across and grasped the Doctors limp hand in her own, squeezing till her own turned white.

They sat in comfortable silence with each other as both thought back on the events that lead them there.

"_Hello."_

_They grinned at each other, seemingly unable to move out of disbelief they were finally together again. _

"_Long time no see." _

_She shot an even bigger smile down at him and her voice rattled with laughter as she replied. "Yeah well, been busy you know."_

_He gave her a giggle back as she lunged forward and wrapped her arms around him as he leant up off the grating and returned the favour, his arms squeezing her waist tight. They somehow ended up standing without ever letting go of each other, legs tangled and not a breath of air between them._

_Martha leant against the console, arms crossed and small smile on her face as she watched them. She wondered how long they would stay like that if she let them as even after almost a minute they still hadn't moved away from each other, in fact she thought perhaps their arms were even tighter around each other._

_This thought brought another. As romantic and fantastic as the moment was, it was also devastating. She could tell by their grips on each other and how tense they both were how much fear still resided in them both. Not only were they overwhelmingly happy to be with each other again but they were terrified of being torn apart, she shuddered to think about the Doctor if once again they were separated. _

_Suddenly there was a loud cracking noise from across the TARDIS; the couple separating from each other as the Doctor pushed Rose behind him protectively, seeking out the origin of the noise. _

"_It's fine," Martha exclaimed quickly. "The GENIE left, guess he figured he had held up his end of the bargain."_

_It was then the Doctor remembered their company and walked to the console. "Better get the rest of you home then!" He set the coordinates and sent the TARDIS into, for once, smooth flight._

"_Oh my god!" Another exclamation came from behind him. "You're Princess Anne!" _

_He turned back round to see Rose walk up to the woman who beamed back at her. Rose turned her head towards him, eyes shining with laughter. "So we were right then?"_

"_Spot on actually. In fact, you two could almost be called family now. Try hard enough and you'll sense each other no matter where you are now that you're in the same universe."_

"_That's fantastic!" _

_Martha watched as a peculiar smile crossed the Doctor's face at Rose's exclamation, as if her phrasing contained an inside joke, the blonde canting her head over her shoulder, eyes glittering and smile widening as her eyes connected with the suited man. Every time they made eye contact, Martha felt as though she were intruding on something extremely private. _

_With giggles still resounding throughout the TARDIS the ship lurched and spun in a swirl of grating and musical noises, lasting only seconds before abruptly finding ground at what Martha could only assume was the palace once again. _

_They turned towards the Princess who was looking ruffled on the floor of the TARDIS, having lost her footing. With a heavy sigh of discontent she stood, straightening and flattening her gown before clearing her throat and gazing back at the Doctor. Martha couldn't help but marvel that the man still had a firm grip on his blonde companion's hand, even though they had all been thrown about not two seconds prior._

"_So, back now are we? Wonderful. I shall take my leave then. Thank you Doctor." With no further ado, Anne began marching towards the door that led back to Earth._

_The Doctor's brow furrowed, having never been dismissed so instantly and without drama before. _

"_Wait! Wait a minute!" He ran to her, holding out an arm and paying no heed to the fact he had dragged Rose along behind him. He knew she didn't mind, could practically physically feel her amusement at his actions without bothering to turn and see the half smirk he knew would be on her face. "Where do you think you're going all of a sudden?"_

"_Home Doctor. That is where you have brought us is it not?"_

"_Yeah I suppose but-"_

"_But nothing. I'm infinitely glad to have helped but I have a country I must keep track of and if I stay within these walls for long after we've landed, people will begin to wonder where I've gotten off to… Then you'll be in a bit of trouble." She smiled with a glint of mischief in her eyes. "Don't worry, I'm sure we'll see each other again."_

_The Doctor huffed in disbelief as she left then, being so unused to not only being dismissed but someone who seemed to know something he did not. _

_There was silence for a few short seconds before Rose finally spoke up._

"_Aaaah, Doctor?" They both turned to look at her and saw that her eyes were directed to the other, empty end of the console room. She inclined her head to the corner._

"_What is it Rose?" Both women's heads spun in his direction, incredulous looks upon they faces, as if he was a complete idiot. He looked back and forth between them and the emptiness of the TARDIS for a moment before a shock went through him and his eyes widened in realisation._

"_Oh, Captain! You impossibly enigmatic man."_

_Martha grinned while Rose looked slightly confused at his wording._

"_Oh Rose, you're never gonna believe this! That old Boe Face shares an identity with an old friend of ours." His tongue stuck out between his teeth and his eyebrows rose in expectation as he waited._

_Rose's mouth fell open and transformed into an ear splitting grin, looking over at Martha for confirmation. _

"_No!"_

"_Yep, I was there when he told us." _

"_You've met Captain Jack then?"_

"_Oh yeah, he's awfully-"_

"_I know! And how amazing is that coat?"_

"_Oi!" The Doctor butted in-between the two girls, playfully agitated._

_The two laughed at him before Rose stepped back closer to him, hand running down his arm as she leant up closer to his face, gorgeous smile still upon her lips, his face softening as he watched her._

"_Don't worry Doctor, your coat is still my favourite…" She leaned even closer, mouth coming to his ear and whispering. "Among other things."_

_She turned then and strode away from him, back to the console, Martha laughing in guffaws at the look on his face as she followed Rose and held out her hand for a playful fist bump that Rose gladly returned._

_The Doctor stood, stunned for a moment, mouth hanging open and suddenly extremely dry. He made himself quickly snap out of it. He closed his mouth, swallowed unevenly and stepped forward._

"_Rose Tyler you-"_

And that's where it had all gone wrong. Rose remembered watching as his legs buckled underneath him with no warning, her and Martha running to him, jokes and smiles gone to be replaced with panic and nausea as she once again had to cradle his limp body against her while Martha took his vitals and demanded they get him to the sick bay.

Since then it was there she sat, by his side in the clinically white room, alternately holding his hand, sleeping and watching his face for any sign of movement. All they had witnessed in the 16 hours since the Doctor had lost consciousness was his eyelids flickering and random, full-body shivers.

Rose's breathing hitching in pain at remembering the last time she had seen like this, she was hoping and praying that this would not end up the same way. She definitely hadn't yet seen enough of this face.

Martha was startled out of her restful daze by a sudden noise and movement to her right. She rubbed her eyes and sat up straighter to see Rose tilted forward in her chair, eye wide is realisation though they stayed locked on the Doctor.

"Rose? What is it?"

"Regeneration sickness."

Martha woke up more fully when she couldn't quite make out the quiet words from the other girl. "What d-"

"Regeneration sickness." Rose spun to her, eyes meeting hers directly and intensely for the first time in quite some time. "Martha, the way the Doctor brought me back, did it have anything to do with his regeneration process?"

The beginnings of a hopeful smile were playing on the youngers lips, which made Martha straighten to full attention, thinking back on the complexities of the Doctor's plan to bring Rose back to him.

"Yes, he used up the energy of a whole regeneration to fuel the GENIE's power, that's what made him so weak in the first place. Why Rose? What does that mean?

"I've seen this before. I just didn't realise because his face is still the same. I was with him once when he regenerated-"

"And he was unconscious for a whole day before he woke up… I never saw how that happened." Martha finished in a whisper, looking up to see Rose staring at her in deep confusion. "It's a long story but I know all about the time you spent with the Doctor. The TARDIS took it upon herself to show me the story so I could understand him better. He was a wreck while you were gone."

Rose simply nodded and accepted this, knowing how he would have acted as she imagined his actions would be the mirror image of her own since they were separated. She would think more about that and how to fix the consequences of their separation later. Right now, she simply wanted to get on with it. "Well he woke up because the tea Mickey brought onto the TARDIS spilled and evaporated and he breathed it in. He babbled about it just after, something about free-radicals and tannins. Maybe if we do the same thing now it will bring him back to us."

Martha grinned and promptly jumping from her place, running quickly to the kitchen and miraculously finding a steaming cup already waiting for her. She looked towards the roof and smiled. "Thanks girl," grabbing the cup and running back to Rose who was now seated up by the Doctor's side on the medical cot.

She walked to the other side and without hesitation tipped the Time Lord's head back, chin down, slowly pouring the tea into his mouth and massaging his Adams apple to initiate the swallowing reflex.

They fretted anxiously by his side, bodies stiff with anticipation, barely even daring to breath into the silence of the endless ship. Ever since he had lost consciousness the atmosphere of the TARDIS seemed to be lacking a certain something, like a vital piece had been misplaced and was causing a sickness or weariness. Slowly but surely, as the seconds dragged on, that feeling dissipated. The light in the room glowed just a fraction brighter and the hum that came from all around them increased in volume but decreased in pitch, a pleasant and excited hum from the unseen third companion who could feel the changes rushing through her Time Lord.

The Doctor's body rose in a lung stretchingly deep breath and Martha and Rose steeped back with matching squeals of surprises when his body shot upright at the hips, hands behind his torso on the bed to support his upper body, eyes wide and intelligent taking in the room around him and obviously calculating how he ended up in such a predicament.

Rose held a hand to her chest while Martha clutched at the pole of a machine that had been connected to the man's chest seconds ago, before being forcibly removed by his jolting body. They both stayed silent and caught their breath, waiting for the man in question to speak.

He looked at them both in turn, eyes fading back to normal and with a sheepish upturn of his lips he spoke.

"Ah yes, thought something like that might happen… Did I forget to warn you?"

Martha's mouth gaped open. He knew… He knew?! She suddenly found herself torn between hugging the life out of him or punching him square in that newly awakened face. Though moments later, Rose made that very decision for her.

Her hope and wonder and slight fear transformed in a second upon her face to incredulity and fierce anger. Her lips pressed together and her jaw clenched, his eyes drew back to hers as she stepped forward and without another thought brought an arm up and slapped him as hard as she could across the face.

His head stayed turned with the slap and there was stunned silence once more before Martha quickly yet involuntarily broke it with an amused snort at the look on the Doctor's face.

He groaned softly and his eyes gained a spark of humour. "Lord, you Tyler women and your slaps." He turned back to Rose, close-mouthed grin back in place. "You'd think I'd know better by now."

Rose huffed and sighed. "You'd think." She shook her head at the ridiculous man one last time before pulling him firmly into an embrace, arms wrapped around his back and shoulders, one hand immediately finding his hair and running through it while he slid to one side of the bed so as to pull her closer.

Though her face was hidden by his neck it took only seconds before it became clear her adrenaline and good humour had left her and tears were now present by the small sniffles that escaped her and the extra edge of desperation her arms around him grew.

Martha walked to the end of the bed, smiling at the Doctor when he met her gaze and nodding, heading out of the room so as to finally give them the moment they deserved and had been waiting on for years.

It broke the Doctor's heart to know how badly he had hurt his beautiful pink and yellow human but he had no words to convey his apology or his joy at having her in his arms once again, this time with no threat or illness looming over them. He had no intention of letting her go this time. His fight against all that he felt for this girl was over and he wanted nothing more than to stay in that position forevermore. He was content to wait till she decided something needed to change. And by Rassilon, when she moved out of his embrace, he would make sure things changed… In the best way possible. He shed a single tear and then let his thoughts come to a halt, holding her until the tears stopped.

Finally she pulled slightly away, trying only to get his face back into view, having been away for much too long but was surprised when he pulled her back closer, one hand wrapped around the back of her neck to pull her forward so that their foreheads rested against each other and the other supported her firmly around the waist, fingers tightening every few wonderful seconds. It was then she realised as some point he had risen from his seat and he now stood above her once again, looking down at her with a singular intensity she remembered and missed terribly.

She looked up into his eyes questioningly, asking silently why he had pulled her so close, closer than they'd ever been. She let a startled breath when in his gaze she saw the surrender, the complete openness that she had seen a sheltered version of in the past. But never had she been so very near to _him, _all of him. Her hands clutched around his neck, fingertips losing themselves in the beginnings of his hair as she pushed herself forward so their lips were barely even a centimetre apart, breathing each other's breaths as tension and heat grew painfully quickly and overwhelmed them both till they stood, struggling to not simply devour each other.

"Really?" She asked, pleading with him to not back away, for him to finally give in and let happen what they both so desperately wanted to happen.

His arms inched tighter around her waist, their bodies coming flush up against each other, only the tips of her toes remaining on the ground as he held her practically suspended in the air, feet and legs entangled from standing so close as he tenderly pushed her hair back behind her ear and nodded, looking as desperate as she felt.

"Oh yes," he whispered on her lips, sending her a tiny smile before their lips connected for the first time and it felt as though electricity passed straight through them and into the ground. Arms tightened to impossible clutches as both of his palms went to her waist and picked her up and spinning to switch their positions, stepping backwards till both her legs hit the cot gently, knees folding and opening as she fell into a sitting position and let him step in-between them to come closer, the Time Lord completely letting go for the first time in centuries.

She gasped as he ground against her, her mind flying in disbelief and arousal as he reached down from her waist to intertwine their fingers against the sheets of the cot, clenching together almost painfully. He groaned into her mouth as their tongues met in fiery battle and she wrapped her legs around his waist and hips, pulling her right hand away only for it to fly into his hair, pulling insistently.

They suddenly wrenched away from each other as a throat clearing came from the doorway.

Martha leaned against the barrier, eyebrow raised and fighting a smirk.

"I see you're feeling better," she stated sarcastically, nodding her head at the Doctor. He said nothing, fighting a rather un-manly blush at being caught in such a compromising and vulnerable position.

Martha's eyes then moved to Rose and she let a soft smile come to her face at the joy radiating out of the younger girl. "I told you. Can survive anything this one."

Rose simply nodded in acknowledgement and thanks, knowing if it hadn't been for Martha and her constant reassurances since the Doctor's collapse that not only would her mental state have been much worse, but the Doctor's recovery might have taken even longer than necessary.

"Now you're up and about and you two are… up and about, I'm going to catch up on my sleep, maybe relax in a bath for an hour or two…" she considered them critically once again. "Or three." With a final smirk she spun on her heels and marched away from the room.

The Doctor's eyes were instantly drawn back to Rose's, the look in her eyes totally unfamiliar and completely addicting.

"So," his voice was low and gravelly as his hands moved up and down the outside of her thighs.

Her smile widened and teeth showed, laying her hands atop his moving arms, grasping the suit and muscles beneath fabric, inching that much closer, her legs never having unwrapped from their place around his waist. "So," she responded cheekily, still breathless and hazy.

His eyelids drooped and he brushed his nose across her cheek and her own nose, lips millimetres from touching, breaths being shared and exchanged.

"There's something I've been meaning to say, but I seem to keep being interrupted." This time she said nothing, softening her smile and momentarily raising her eyebrows in mock question.

"So, Rose Tyler-"

Her left hand suddenly lifted and latched itself to the back of his neck from where it had fallen moments ago, pulling at the small hairs there and bringing his eyes from her lips back into her own gaze, speaking frantically, still half gasping for air.

"Doctor… Shut up."

With one last glimpse of that teasing smile her lips were back on his and they were both falling backwards with the intense hope of not having to leave their perfect ecstasy again anytime soon.

Discussion and confessions would come later, for now it was time for the fight to finally be over.

**A/N So what did you think? I really hope this ending doesn't disappoint anyone! I'm so happy and proud and amazed that I finally finished. I'm sorry it took me this long but I swore I wouldn't abandon it and now I've kept that promise.**

**Thank you everyone so much for reading and following and reviewing. You are the ones that gave me inspiration to continue and finish this story. This is the longest fanfic I've ever written and I'm incredible proud of it so I hope you all enjoyed it and hit me with a message if you enjoyed my writing and can think of something you'd like for me to write because I am thoroughly out of ideas atm haha.**

**THANK YOU.**

**ALLONS-Y**

**Metal.**


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